Crossroads
by Heleentje
Summary: Every end heralds a new beginning, and every story will one day be uncovered. The truth is rarely pleasant, but it's the truth nonetheless. Post-series, Johan-centric
1. Tranquility

Even though I told myself never to start a chaptered story... Well, I couldn't resist writing this one. I sincerely hope I can finish it. The story itself will probably be updated on a weekly basis, but I can't guarantee that, since my end-of-year exams are steadily drawing nearer.

If there's one person I can't even begin to thank enough, it's **Olynthus**, who encouraged me to write this story in the first place, put up with me when I was spouting crazy ideas, and was kind enough to beta this for me to boot.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own it, don't even want it

* * *

Two days after graduation, Duel Academia was all but deserted. Most of the students had already gone home for the holidays, and the few remaining ones were also preparing to leave soon.

Tenjoin Asuka was still residing in the Blue Dorms, as the procedure for her studying abroad hadn't been completely finalized yet. Manjoume Jun too, had decided to stay. He would be heading for the Pro Leagues soon, but he didn't have a sponsor yet, and he flat-out refused to go back to his brothers.

Tenjoin Fubuki hadn't left either, partially because his sister wasn't going home, but mostly because Kaiba Corporation was still trying to deal with the reappearance of Fujiwara Yusuke, and trying to figure out the legal implications. Needless to say, Fujiwara himself was still at Duel Academia as well.

Marifuji Sho had stayed behind to be with his friends, and was currently trying to gain Kaiba Corporation's approval to set up a new Pro Circuit, along with his brother.

Both Johan Andersen and Austin O'Brien were spending their days at the Academia too, though they wouldn't be around for much longer. Kaiba Corporation had provided an all-expense trip back home for both of them, to thank them for their help. Johan had complained about this at first, arguing that they would need all their resources to restore the building that had been destroyed, and that he had managed to get to Japan on his own, so he could get back on his own as well.

He had finally caved in when they had all but shoved the plane ticket into his hands, saying it was non-refundable and that if he didn't take it, the money would be lost. He would be leaving the very next day, and O'Brien's flight departed two days after that.

The entire group usually spent their time together, reminiscing about everything that had happened at the Academia. This meant that Johan and O'Brien often didn't know what the others were talking about, but they enjoyed listening all the same. Fujiwara was still very nervous, but no one really blamed him. Fubuki was trying to involve him as much as he could, which more often than not led to embarrassing stories about the time they were both still studying together (It seemed like Fubuki himself was often the main instigator of whatever crazy thing they had gotten themselves involved into).

And of course (it was unavoidable, really) almost every conversation seemed to end with Judai. He had disappeared after the graduation ceremony, and hadn't been seen ever since, but no one was overly worried. Principal Samejima had alerted Kaiba Corporation, but apparently Kaiba himself had told him that he knew 'from a very reliable source' that Judai was very much alright.

They were sitting in the schoolyard when Judai came up again.

"It figures, Judai disappearing like that," Manjoume started the conversation.

"He'll come back. He always does in the end." Asuka said reassuringly, and both Sho and Johan nodded in agreement.

Fubuki spoke up: "Where do you think he went off to, though?"

The question was left hanging. Manjoume shrugged nonchalantly and started rifling through his deck. The Ojama Trio appeared, but he swatted them away before they could say anything. He cast Johan a 'dare-you-to-say-something' look, but Johan just shrugged and smiled pleasantly. Fujiwara appeared to be slightly shocked and looked at Honest, who was standing behind him, then back at Manjoume before looking at Johan, who quickly mouthed "It's normal".

"He'll come back." Asuka repeated, ignoring the three-way conversation. "One way or the other, he'll be back."

A murmur of agreement was heard, and Fubuki spoke up once more: "I'm glad he was there, you know. It was scary."

Sho actually laughed at this: "Aniki always manages to save everyone!"

"True," Fubuki agreed, "But you don't know what it was like. You were all gone, and I couldn't remember. Like none of you had ever existed."

"You forgot about us?" Asuka sounded shocked.

"It was Darkness' power," Fujiwara said, "All those who were beaten, were erased from existence." He shivered slightly.

"Judai remembered, though." Johan said.

"Judai's different. Darkness couldn't get to him."

Johan looked troubled: "Except for the time when he dueled me. His Fusion card had been infected."

Everyone turned to look at him.

"You had to duel him?" Asuka asked, "What happened?"

"It was in Domino. Judai seemed to think I was his enemy. It turned out alright in the end, though. Rainbow Dragon managed to get through to him."

"And the card... What do you mean by infected?"

"Something about Saiou slipping an infected card in his deck. I don't know the details."

"The cards of duelists with darkness in their heart became tainted," Fujiwara explained once again, "Honest said that when he impersonated me, the aura of darkness was so strong that he had to destroy those cards."

"So that's why all those cards were burned!" Sho looked a bit scandalised. "Still, it was probably for the better, then, right?"

"Yeah, probably..."

"Say, Johan, why were you in Domino in the first place?" Asuka asked, switching subjects.

"I called him." O'Brien spoke for the first time, "I thought we could use all the help we could get."

Johan nodded, then frowned: "I didn't see you in Domino, though. What happened?"

"I had already been defeated by Darkness by the time you arrived. You couldn't have seen me."

Silence fell over the group. Manjoume got up and left soon afterwards, mentioning that he was going to look for dinner. Asuka and Sho followed him, and Johan decided to go and gather his stuff. Fubuki and Fujiwara headed back for the Blue Dorms. O'Brien just stayed where he was.

--

Packing had been an easy affair. Since he had left right after O'Brien had called him, Johan had only taken a few essentials with him. He had borrowed some school uniforms while staying at the Academia, and his clothes had been washed to previous day, so after half an hour, Johan had left his room again and was now roaming the campus.

Ruby was sitting on his shoulder, carefully taking in the sights, even though she had seen the island several times already. Johan felt himself becoming strangely nostalgic. Even though he had gone through a lot of trouble on the island, the good times were still prevalent in his mind.

He was glad O'Brien had called him. Admittedly, the conditions hadn't been ideal, but he had been happy to meet Judai again. They had never properly said goodbye after the Dark World situation, and even though they had kept contact via e-mail, Johan preferred talking face-to-face.

Only now Judai had disappeared again. And once again without saying anything.

Johan didn't let it bother him. He knew the other boy too well to be disturbed by it. Judai had things to do, things he couldn't do with other people accompanying him. So even though he missed him, Johan would let him go. Judai would return one day, he was sure of it.

He had been wandering around aimlessly for a while, when he came across the same place they had all been sitting earlier. O'Brien was still there, and since he had nothing better to do, Johan decided to join him.

"So you're leaving soon as well?"

"My mission has been completed."

"Are you going home?" Johan wasn't deterred by O'Brien's lack of eloquency. He rarely was.

"Yes. My parents remember me again, they're expecting me."

"They forgot about you?"

"I was erased like everybody else." The memory didn't seem to be a happy one.

Johan frowned. He couldn't imagine what it was like to forget everyone. It bothered him, more than it should have, perhaps.

They sat in silence for some time, before Johan spoke again:

"Why did you call me? I'm hardly the most suited person for this kind of stuff. You need Judai for that."

"You know Judai was already dealing with it. I just figured we could all use some help."

"Still, I'm not sure if I'm the right person."

O'Brien turned to look at Johan: "You and Judai work together very well. I don't think you two could be beaten in a tag team duel."

Johan grinned, slightly embarrassed: "Well, I guess you're right. That doesn't mean I don't want to face him as an opponent, though!"

"I never said that. But you share a close bond with each other. Therefore, you were the best-suited person to call for assistance."

"If you put it like that..."

Johan rifled through his deck until he found Rainbow Dragon. If he hadn't come here, he would never have gotten the card. He realised he had difficulty remembering life before he had found Rainbow Dragon.

In fact, the same went for Judai. When he first met him, there was something so familiar about him... It was hard to imagine not knowing the other boy.

Ruby chirped, and Johan noticed, to his surprise, that it was completely dark already. He got up and brushed some grass off his clothes.

"I'm heading back. Are you coming too?"

O'Brien shook his head.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, I guess," Johan pocketed Rainbow Dragon, "If you want, I think there's still food left."

He waved goodbye at O'Brien and headed back for the Blue Dorms. He wasn't used to staying there anymore. Like so many people, he had been drawn to the Red Dorms when he first came to Duel Academia. But with Judai gone there were no Osiris Red students left, so the dorms had been closed off for the summer. Maybe there'd be new students the next year, but for now, it was easier to only keep the Blue Dorms open. All of the remaining students were from Obelisk Blue anyway.

Johan wasn't too fond of the rooms here. Too big and too luxurious. He preferred a simpler style.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to miss Duel Academia, though. Back in Europe, he lived on his own, and even with the Gem Beasts, he usually started missing human contact after a while. He sometimes regretted being sent to North School. While it was definitely closer to where he lived, he liked the atmosphere at Duel Academia better. He remembered having seen Manjoume when he was still in his first year, but he had never really cared about the rankings, so all the commotion about Manjoume becoming top student had gone straight past him. After a month or so, Manjoume had gone back to Duel Academia, the dust he had left in his wake had settled down and everything had gone back to normal.

He had forgotten all about Duel Academia until he had been offered to come here. He still wasn't quite sure why they had declared him to be the best duelist of North School, since he had never expressed any interest in the rankings, but he was glad he had been chosen nonetheless.

Technically, he had already graduated, so he was free to do what he wanted. His plans for the future weren't very well defined, though. He had an apartment back in Norway, and he could easily support himself with the money he had gotten from winning tournaments, so for now, he was planning on taking a break. Maybe he'd join the Pro Leagues later on. If Sho and Ryo ever managed to create a new Pro Circuit, he'd likely join them. He strongly suspected he wouldn't feel at home in the current Pro Leagues, being the person he was. But Sho and Ryo had the potential to break the status quo, and he hoped they would succeed.

There was no need to worry about that now, though. Not on his last night in Japan. It was still early, but he reasoned that he'd better go to sleep anyway. His flight was scheduled to leave the next evening, but the trip from Duel Academia to Tokyo would take some time, and he knew he probably wouldn't get much sleep on the plane. It would probably pay off to sleep while he still could. After all, he had a long journey ahead of him.


	2. Ominous Night

So here's chapter two. Hope you all enjoy it!

Once again, a lot of thanks to **Olynthus **for reading the first draft, pointing out mistakes, and being extremely nice and helpful in general!

**Disclaimer: **Don't own, don't want.

* * *

**Airbus A340-300 ****-- SK2866 -- Tokyo Narita Airport – Bergen International Airport **

There was something about Business Class that just screamed 'waste of money' to him. Sure, the extra leg room was nice, and the food was a little better than on the rest of the plane, but all in all, it wasn't really worth the money.

Johan shifted and threw a look out of the tiny window. It was completely dark outside, and the only thing he could make out was his own reflection. He brought his face closer to the window in an attempt to see something else, but there was nothing. He sighed and stretched, before checking the screen that was connected to his seat. It told him they were flying somewhere above China, so they probably still had a while to go.

He sighed again (it was quickly becoming a habit). He had never really managed to sleep well on airplanes, and this time probably wasn't going to be an exception. The person next to him, an elderly lady who had kindly offered him the window seat because she didn't like looking outside, was already fast asleep, but he was still wide awake. He briefly considered picking out something to watch, but he had already watched several Simpsons specials and a documentary about Egypt. The only thing the menu had left to offer was Pirates of the Caribbean, and since the airplane personnel had insisted on displaying the movie when he was headed for Japan, he decided to skip it.

He briefly considered talking to the Gem Beasts, but they were probably resting and wouldn't take kindly to being woken up (Amethyst Cat in particular hated having to wake up -and she could make it quite clear too-). Instead, he started skipping through the music channels. His attention was briefly held by a retelling of The Little Mermaid (if he remembered correctly, this was the children's channel), but he lost interest around the time that Ariel arrived in the human world.

The trip from Duel Academia to Tokyo had been utterly and completely uneventful. He had said goodbye to everyone, exchanged addresses (the last time everything had been so hectic he hadn't found time for it) and a helicopter had taken him to the airport. Tokyo Narita was very similar to most international airports. Admittedly, check-in and customs hadn't taken as long as other times, but that had had to do with the fact that Kaiba Corporation had ensured a VIP treatment for him.

A flight attendant passed, and upon seeing that he was still awake, asked him if he needed anything. He quickly shook his head, and she walked on. Most people were asleep by now. The lady next to him was snoring softly, but it didn't really bother him. In fact, it reminded him of the time when he still bunked in Osiris Red. Judai had had the tendency to be noisy when he slept. Johan smiled fondly. It seemed like it was such a long time ago. He knew it had only been a few months, but after everything that had happened... The last time he had slept in Osiris Red was before Duel Academia got transported to that different dimension. When he had finally made it back, he couldn't bear to go to the Red dorms, knowing that Judai wouldn't be there.

He absently took a sip of a bottle of water standing in front of him. Something was nagging him again. He had the feeling that he was missing something, but he couldn't imagine what. Something about the whole 'Darkness' story wasn't right. Well, of course it wasn't right, he reasoned. It had been very wrong, and they ought to be very grateful that Judai had once again managed to save them all. He knew he was. He still wanted to beat Judai, but above all, they were friends, and in the short time they knew each other, Judai had saved him twice already.

And still the nagging feeling wouldn't go away. There was something. He looked out of the window again, but everything was still dark. He wondered briefly if he should be afraid of darkness now, but dismissed the idea almost immediately. If Judai really was Haou, it meant that the Darkness they had confronted wasn't the only darkness around. Judai was powerful but good at heart, and the darkness he controlled was the same. But Darkness' darkness corrupted. He had seen it.

The nagging feeling increased. There was something, right there, and he couldn't grasp it. Something about Darkness... It had been so noticeably evil, he really hadn't been able to ignore it.

He shook his head in frustration, and just decided to stop thinking about it. Maybe he could figure it out later, when he got back home. The Gem Beasts would definitely be able to help him. He couldn't ask them now, though. For one, they were still asleep, and even though they didn't have a physical body, trying to fit them all here would be very awkward. Not to mention that people didn't really take kindly to someone talking to what appeared to be plain air.

The airplane was still quiet. The lady next to him moved slightly in her sleep, and a few seats in front of him, someone got up. He checked the screen again, and noticed that they had just left China.

He was just about to try and find something worth watching, when Ruby appeared next to the window. The tiny monster greeted him with a quiet "Rubii". Johan returned the greeting silently, indicating the other passengers as a reason why he couldn't speak up. Ruby didn't seem to be bothered by this. She floated a few feet above him to take a look at the plane, then came back down and settled in his lap. Ruby yawned cutely, and Johan smiled as she curled up like a cat and promptly fell asleep. It was nice to have one of the Gem Beasts with him. Even though she was a spirit, and therefore weightless, it still seemed like he could feel her, and the idea comforted him.

It was nearing 2 o'clock, and he was starting to feel rather sleepy himself now. He rearranged the blanket so it covered him better (all the while trying not to disturb Ruby) and used the remote control to shift his seat in a better position. He spent some time trying to find a good sleeping position, and finally settled for just curling up. Ruby shifted slightly so that she too found a comfortable position, and slept on. Johan threw her one last glance, smiled again, and closed his eyes.

_He can't see. There's darkness everywhere but he knows what's coming, and he closes his eyes tightly._

_There are others, and he knows... Doesn't know exactly what he knows but he knows, and he's scared, so very scared, but..._

_It hurts. f_

_There's pain, only pain, and it hurts so much, but he knew this was going to come, and it keeps hurting, but he has to go through with it 'cause if he doesn't there's no one..._

_And there's a fresh cut, his head now, and he can hear someone screaming, but maybe it's just him, or maybe someone else is screaming too, but he really doesn't know anym..._

"Sir! Sir, are you alright?"

Johan jolted awake. The flight attendant was staring at him, and the lady next to him had woken up too and immediately began fussing over him. Several people were looking his way, and Ruby was chirping frantically as he shakily raised himself to a sitting position.

"Wha- What happened?" He managed to ask. His forehead hurt terribly, and he could feel the pain still spreading through his body.

"You were screaming, sir." the flight attendant told him.

"He was thrashing so much too, it woke me up," the lady next to him added. She turned to him: "Are you okay, dear?"

Johan nodded slowly: "Yeah... yeah, just a nightmare, I'm sorry"

"Can I get you anything, sir? Something to drink?"

"No, it's okay..." he motioned towards the bottle of water still standing in front of him. He was shaking all over.

"Are you sure, dear? You look very pale."

"No, really, I'm sorry to have bothered you..."

Johan sunk back down into his seat. All around him people were losing interest. Some tried to go back to sleep, while a few businessmen took out their laptops.

Ruby was still chirping concernedly, and he could hear the other Gem Beasts talking frantically amongst each other.

"I'm fine. It's okay..." No one really seemed to believe him. The flight attendant moved on, but kept throwing concerned glances in his direction, and he could hear Amethyst Cat saying that they would talk "the moment they got out of this stupid plane."

Johan gulped down some water. The pain was subsiding, but the memory was still very vivid. He tentatively touched his forehead. The pain seemed to be centered there, but he didn't feel anything strange.

What had happened? He only remembered pain, but what had caused it? Who wanted to hurt him, and what did all of this mean?

Maybe it was just an ordinary nightmare. It might mean nothing at all. The clock told him it was almost 9 a.m. He must have slept longer than he realised, but he didn't feel rested at all.

According to the map, the plane was almost in Europe. In a few hours, they would reach Norway.

He put the chair back into an upright position. The flight attendants started to distribute breakfast, and the same attendant who had woken him up handed him his tray. She gave him a concerned look, but he quickly assured her that everything was okay. Ruby migrated to his shoulder so he could put the tray down, and looked down with interest as Johan picked up the orange juice. He drank quickly, noting that the juice was freshly squeezed, and put the glass (now empty) back down. He stared at the food for a moment, before deciding that he really wasn't hungry and leaning back into his seat.

He was still shaken, but at least the pain had disappeared. The plane was flying over the Baltic states now, and since it was finally light again, he tried to find any villages or towns, but it was too cloudy. He rested his forehead against the window, and the chill helped him clear his head somewhat.

Looking back, it probably really had been just a nightmare. Granted, it had been a very vivid one, but he suspected that some of the events of the last few days had seeped into his subconscious.

The flight attendants came to collect the trays. This time he smiled at the attendant who had been taking care of him, and that seemed to reassure her, because she didn't ask him if he was alright anymore.

He closed his eyes for a while, and he must have dozed off despite everything, because the next thing he knew, the plane was arriving in Bergen. After that, it didn't take long to get through customs (he still had to part with his deck for a while, something he always felt a bit uneasy about). He was held up for a while when someone at the scanning machines recognized the cards in his deck as the fabled Gem Beasts, and had to first prove he was indeed Johan Andersen.

This caused a lot of dueling fans who were coincidentally in the same queue (and some people from nearby queues as well, including a group of children coming back from a school trip) to ambush him and ask for an autograph. Topaz Tiger materialized in an attempt to drive them off, but the effect was minimal. Johan could only detect two or three people who gave any inclination of being able to see the tiger.

After a while security interfered, though, and Johan succeeded in getting away. The airport was very crowded, but luckily he managed to get a taxi to his apartment rather quickly. He had decided to buy an apartment in Bergen after being informed that he was going to go to Duel Academia, Bergen International Airport being the only Norwegian airport that offered direct flights to Japan.

The taxi driver tried to start up a conversation, but after realizing that his passenger was practically falling asleep in his seat, he gave up. Johan was grateful for the silence, and dozed off slightly. After about thirty minutes, he was alerted by both the driver and the Gem Beasts that they had reached their destination, and he quickly paid, thanked the driver and entered the building.

The complex was deserted, most people having left for work. He entered his apartment, and quickly put his few possessions away, before flopping down on his bed. Amethyst Cat and Sapphire Pegasus appeared beside his bed, and they seemed very intent on speaking to him, but he couldn't muster up the energy to actually talk with them. Jet lag and general lack of sleep were taking its toll, and he was out the moment he closed his eyes.

* * *

Maybe you've already figured out where this is going by now. If so, well, it was never my intention to be very mysterious about the plot.

Constructive criticism is very much appreciated!


	3. Agonizing Heart

Well, here's chapter three. This is where things are getting a bit screwy. If some things are not clear, I'd suggest watching episode 172 carefully a few times. In fact, that episode is very important for the story in general.

Once again a lot of thanks to **Olynthus**, for proofreading and pointing out mistakes, but above all for helping me with the plot and giving me an idea that proved to be very helpful for the overall storyline.

**Disclaimer: **It's still not mine and I still don't want it.

* * *

When Johan finally woke up again, it was dark already. He felt better now. He was still tired, and he would feel the after-effects of the plane trip for a while, but in a few days, his body would have adapted to this rhythm again. He sat upright and looked around. Sapphire Pegasus had disappeared, but Amethyst Cat was curled up next to his bed, sleeping soundly.

Johan silently got out of bed and walked around her, trying his best not to wake her up. He headed for the kitchen, looking for something edible, but to his dismay, he had to throw away a lot of things immediately. Most of the food he kept in his fridge had gone bad during his absence.

He didn't feel like going out and buying something, though. He briefly considered ordering pizza, but finally decided against it and grabbed some eggs. He wasn't a brilliant cook, but throughout the years he had learned to prepare some dishes by himself, and omelettes were something he excelled in.

He had just finished eating when Amethyst Cat strolled in. She yawned widely, showing off her canines in a way that Johan suspected was at least partly intentional, but when she looked at him again, her face was stern.

"Johan, what happened last night?"

"Hello to you too," Johan grinned, hoping that it would placate her. He still didn't feel like talking. However, judging by the deepening frown on her face, he wouldn't have such luck.

Both Sapphire Pegasus and Topaz Tiger chose that moment to materialise. All of a sudden, the kitchen felt rather small.

"We want to know as well," Sapphire Pegasus said. He exchanged looks with his two friends, and all three of them stared at Johan, waiting for an explanation.

"It was just a nightmare, really. Nothing out of the ordinary!"

"Johan, you know just as well as we do that you almost never have nightmares, and you certainly never woke up screaming before!" Amethyst Cat stalked closer, her teeth bared. Johan hoped that it was unintentional.

"However much you want to deny it, it wasn't 'ordinary'," Topaz Tiger spoke up, "do you know what happened?"

Johan got up and carried his plate to the dishwasher. He looked over his shoulder. "I don't know what it meant, all I know is that the person in my dream was being hurt. That's why I was screaming."

"So you were just watching? You weren't actually part of it?" Sapphire Pegasus asked.

"No... No, I was that person. It was me." Johan sighed, defeated, "But honestly, it's a dream. And I've only had it once, how can it mean anything?"

"We care about you, we don't want anything to happen to you," Topaz Tiger told him, and Sapphire Pegasus and Amethyst Cat nodded in agreement.

"I know, and I care about you too. You're my family!" Johan returned to the living room, and his monsters followed him. "But, really, let's just leave it alone for a while."

The trio grudgingly accepted. They didn't disappear, however, but watched how Johan switched on the TV and started flipping through channels. Amethyst Cat jumped onto the sofa next to him, while Johan looked for something interesting to watch.

"_... __umors have surfaced that Kaiba Corporation is planning on supporting a new Pro Circuit. Nothing is known about the founders of this new Circuit, but the dueling world is in uproar..."_

Johan sat up straighter, his interest piqued.

"_... One of the top sponsors was willing to grant us an interview."_

A rather short man appeared on screen, looking for all the world like the stereotype of a greedy manager. He was red in the face. Johan assumed it was caused by the indignation that seemed to flow off him in waves.

"_This is unheard of!" _The man started, and Johan had to laugh at the tone of his voice. _"Never in the history of the Pro Leagues has such an attempt succeeded, and we will do everything in our power to keep it that way! Kaiba's support won't help them!"_

"So they actually succeeded?" Johan asked, more to himself than to anyone else. He grinned, happy for the Marifuji brothers. "Guess I know where to go to after all!"

The news bulletin went on about the possible ramifications of a new Pro Circuit, but Johan quickly lost interest and started flicking through channels again. His attention was briefly held by a cartoon he suspected Judai would have enjoyed if he understood Norwegian (although he probably would've complained about the lack of realistic aliens), but when the plot went the same predictable way as most cartoons, he switched off the TV completely.

Yawning, he noticed that it was nearing midnight now. He had slept through the day, but his body was tired again, and he probably should be resuming a normal schedule anyway. He showered first, the plane flight had left him feeling rather sweaty, but he had been too exhausted to care about it earlier.

His bed was in slight disarray, but since he had fallen asleep on top of the covers earlier, the mess wasn't too bad. He actually got under the covers this time, now fully appreciating the comfort of his own bed. Amethyst Cat had apparently decided to guard him, for while she had let him shower in private, she now entered the bedroom and hopped onto the bed without any explanation. Johan was used to it, though. He rarely passed a night without at least one of the Gem Beasts at his side. He shifted to the side (Amethyst Cat needed a lot more room than Ruby), and watched her as she curled up. After making sure she was sleeping soundly (he looked out for the Gem Beasts as much as they did for him), he leaned back and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to come.

_It keeps hurting, and he's screaming so much, so very much, but now he's not alone. 'Cause someone else is screaming too, begging __for it to stop..._

_Oh, please, make it stop... _

_Only he can't, 'cause the one screaming is the one worth protecting and he needs to get through this. _

_And he can hear _his_ voice now, and it's so familiar. He clings to it like it's the only thing left, the only thing he's still living for, 'cause the pain is too much, and he feels the darkness overtaking him. Gentle darkness, the darkness he needs to protect..._

"Johan! Johan, wake up!"

Johan almost fell out of his bed from the shock. His forehead was burning again, and the pain was slowly starting to spread through his body. Amethyst Cat was looming over him, and through squinted eyes he could see the other Gem Beasts materialising one by one. Topaz Tiger jumped forward and skidded to a halt right in front of him.

"What happened? It happened again, didn't it? I told you it wasn't just a dream!" His expression was almost feral, and he practically pushed Amethyst Cat of the bed in his hurry to get near him.

Johan stared at them, his eyes still half-closed and his hands going up to ease the pain in his head. He rolled over, feeling decidedly worse for wear, and tried to bury his head in his pillow. That only served to increase the headache, though.

"Johan, please, you were screaming!"

"Recurring nightmare?" He tried weakly. Even tiny Ruby didn't seem to buy it. She floated closer to him, chirping concernedly.

Johan rolled over again, shielding his eyes with his hands. Even though there wasn't any light in the room, the few rays that came from outside were still too much.

"What do you remember?" Sapphire Pegasus asked. The worry in his voice was evident, but he somehow managed to stay calmer than the other Gem Beasts.

"I don't know. Pain, lots of pain... And someone shouting... It sounded familiar?"

"Who?!"

Unbidden, a fragment of his dream resurfaced. No words, just shouting. And that voice, he knew it...

"Judai!" He realised, "it sounded like Judai!"

"Judai?'" Amethyst Cat and Emerald Turtle echoed.

"What does it mean? Why would Judai want to hurt you?" Cobalt Eagle asked, flying up so he was hovering near the ceiling.

"He... didn't hurt me. At least, I don't think so."

"But Judai and pain? Why? You don't think it has to do with the Dark World, do you?

Johan thought about it. He hadn't really known pain in the Dark World, just nothingness. Still the experience was awful enough to come back and haunt him. But in this form? And Yubel... Yubel had hurt him, but Judai had tried to explain everything to him a few days ago...

--

"_Two more hours until we reach Duel Academia." _

_There was a note of urgency in Judai's voice, and Johan couldn't blame him. Judai was staring at the horizon, as if trying to speed up the journey through sheer willpower. Johan watched the water flash by as Judai steered the speedboat with a confidence that betrayed lots of practice. Or maybe it was just the confidence that seemed to shine through in every single one of his actions._

_Johan marveled. Judai had always been confident, but that had been the confidence of an optimist, confidence that came with being able to see the good in the world. It was the sort of confidence he hoped he himself possessed too. _

_But now it was different. Judai practically exuded power. Once again, Johan found himself wondering what exactly had happened in the Dark World._

_Judai seemed to have read his mind, for he suddenly turned towards him._

"_Do you know what has happened?"_

"_I don't know the details." That was true. Sho and Jim had told him about everyone dying, about Haou and later Yubel, but they had had a hard time with telling him the specificiations, partly because it was too painful and partly because they just didn't know. _

"_Do you want to know? There's still time."_

_Johan thought about it briefly. The memory of being possessed was painful, but he 'd rather know the full truth, however ugly it was, than spend the rest of his life in ignorance. He nodded quickly and decisively._

_Judai nodded too. He turned back around, so that he faced away from Johan. The air was silent for a while, with Judai trying to sort out his thoughts and Johan waiting patiently. At long last, Judai turned back around._

"_The whole story... It's complicated. You know that everything that happened the last few months was caused by Yubel?"_

_Johan nodded._

"_It was my fault." _

_Johan wanted to disagree, but Judai lifted a hand to shush him._

"_I can't deny it. I made a promise a long time ago, but I broke it. I forgot about her."_

"_But... You were a child..."_

"_No."_

_Judai checked the trajectory of the speedboat, and when he had made sure that they were still going in the right direction, sank down to the floor. Johan wondered if he didn't need to steer, but followed his lead anyway._

"_This promise was made long before I was born. At least, long before Judai was born." He gestured at himself. Johan furrowed his brow, trying to figure out what his friend was telling him. _

"_You know about Haou too, don't you?"_

"_Yes. He's the other side of you?" _

"_In a way. But Haou came into existence long before me. He's me from a past life."_

_A lot of pieces were falling into place now._

"_So, you're his reincarnation? And Yubel... Yubel was part of your past life?" _

"_Yubel was Haou's --my-- best friend. He sacrificed everything for me. He was transformed into the dragon you know now."_

_Emotion was flitting over his face now, and he didn't try to conceal it. Johan waited. _

"_Haou was the prince of darkness. He needed someone to protect him."_

"_Yubel..." Johan breathed._

"_Yes. Yubel protected Haou and protects me still. That was his promise. But Haou made a promise of his own."_

_Judai paused for a minute, staring at the horizon. Johan trailed one hand through the water, still waiting patiently. _

"_Haou promised Yubel his love. It's a promise I can't and won't break."_

_And Johan understood. Didn't even need to hear the end of the story to know what had happened. But Judai wanted to tell this, and he would give him the chance to do so._

"_You know already, don't you? We were fused together. My soul and Yubel's soul are now one."_

_Judai was watching him now, trying to gauge his reaction. When Johan didn't say anything, he spoke again._

"_Are you angry?"_

_Johan looked up sharply: "No! No, I would never -could never- be angry," --He brought his hands to his heart-- "for such a bond to exist... that's something magnificent. How could I be angry because of that?"_

_Judai smiled. A smile that was reminiscent of the smiles he used to give a long time ago, but that carried a small notion of relief with it. He turned his attention back to the boat. _

_Johan watched him silently for a while. There were still a lot of things between him and Yubel that would need to be resolved. But if Judai trusted her this much, he knew he would one day be able to fully accept her._

--

He didn't know Yubel very well, but Judai trusted her, and that was enough. He hadn't had any nightmares after they first returned from the Dark World, so he doubted that he would have trouble with it now.

But that still didn't explain where the nightmares came from. Maybe Darkness? Did something happen that influenced his mind? After all, Darkness could make people forget...

He was suddenly wide awake, sitting upright so fast that both Amethyst Cat and Topaz Tiger had to jump back.

"Johan, what is it?"

"Darkness made people forget, right? When it beat someone, that person got removed from everyone's memories!"

"Yes, but what's that got to do with..." Sapphire Pegasus began.

"I never forgot!" Johan swiveled around, facing the other Gem Beasts. "I should've forgotten so many people, but I never did. I remembered everyone, always!"


	4. Beyond the Sorrow

Chapter four already, I'm surprised I managed to keep this up so long. I have no intention of giving up, however.

And I once again have to thank **Olynthus**, because she's amazing and has helped me so much already.

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own. Still don't want.

* * *

Johan succeeded in getting out of bed without falling over, although he was still shaking and had to pay close attention to every step he took. This new revelation had caused a strange sort of numbness. On one hand, he wasn't worrying about the strange dreams anymore, but on the other hand, it was a new mystery he had to deal with.

He could name at least three people who were much better suited to deal with this than him. And there really wasn't any reason for him to be able to remember. Judai was Judai, of course. He probably dealt with this sort of stuff on a near-daily basis. Fujiwara had been caught up in the middle of the Darkness situation, so of course he would remember. And there was Fubuki, who had forgotten, but somehow remembered everyone afterwards. From what he had gathered, Fubuki had some sort of connection with Darkness too, though.

But he had never even forgotten in the first place.

The bathroom was next to his room, meaning that he didn't have to go far to reach it. That was probably for the better. He rested his head against the tiles for a while, knowing that the cold was a very efficient way to clear his head, then turned on the cold water tap and splashed some water in his face.

He felt refreshed now. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the thoughts from coming. If anything, they were even clearer.

Ruby floated over to him and settled down on his shoulder, rubbing her head against his cheek in a silent reassurance. He smiled gratefully, even though he couldn't actually feel her.

"Johan, what did you mean?"

Johan turned around to face Sapphire Pegasus, who had appeared in the doorway.

"You know when we arrived in Domino?" He asked, and Sapphire Pegasus nodded. The other Gem Beasts moved closer.

"O'Brien called me, but he had already been defeated by the time I got to Domino. I should've forgotten him. Yet I didn't." He was surprised by the sudden calmness that had come over him.

The Gem Beasts looked at him, as if waiting for him to continue. Ruby made a quiet chirping noise.

"I didn't forget anyone afterwards either. I always remembered." Johan switched off the tap and headed back for his bedroom. His bed was in complete disarray. He smoothed out the blankets and sat down at the edge.

"Do you know why?"

Johan looked up at the normally taciturn Amber Mammoth and shook his head: "No idea. Unless..." There was an explanation, but did it fit?

"What?" There was a note of impatience in Amethyst Cat's voice.

"Maybe..." Johan hesitated, "maybe it's because of you guys."

"We have no connection to Darkness at all!" Topaz Tiger bristled.

"No, no, not like that!" Johan was quick to reassure, "I just meant with me being able to see you guys, maybe it's just a side-effect!"

"That would mean that being able to see monster spirits makes you immune to Darkness' effects..." Sapphire Pegasus spoke slowly.

Johan nodded in agreement: "Judai can... And Fujiwara too."

"Fubuki can't, though. I'm sure he can't." Cobalt Eagle spoke up.

"No... no. Maybe he didn't need to? Maybe his ties with Darkness helped him?"

Immediately, Johan noticed a flaw in his theory. He didn't bring it up, though. He didn't need to, because Sapphire Pegasus had spotted the same flaw.

"Johan, how do you know this is right? Judai draws his powers from darkness and Fujiwara and Fubuki were both influenced by Darkness. How do you know your theory is correct?"

"I'm the odd one out," Johan realised, "or Fubuki is."

"It's either you or Fubuki," Sapphire Pegasus agreed, "but how are you going to find out?"

"There are more people... I know!" Topaz Tiger spoke up suddenly.

Everyone looked at him, waiting.

"If you're right, then every person who's able to see monster spirits should be immune. So, why don't you just ask them?"

Johan grinned, catching on: "Of course, Manjoume!"

"Can you two please explain what's going on here? I am _not_ following you." Amethyst Cat snapped, looking from Topaz Tiger to Johan and back again.

"It's simple," Topaz Tiger began, "If Johan's right, then none of the people who can see us were affected."

"Judai and Fujiwara are both out of the question, of course," Johan continued, "They've got their darkness powers. But Manjoume is like me."

"If he didn't forget, then Johan was right." Sapphire Pegasus finished. He nodded, more to himself than to anyone else.

Amethyst Cat didn't look convinced: "What are you going to do if you're wrong?"

"No idea," Johan's grin vanished. He stared out of the window, contemplating the situation.

"He might be right, though. If he is, then the problem's solved." Cobalt Eagle defended.

"Solved?" Amethyst Cat interrupted, "And what if it does get solved, what are you going to do then?" She turned around to face the other Gem Beasts. "You're all forgetting one thing. Johan's still having nightmares and to me, that is a lot more important than some memory problems."

Silence settled over the group. Ruby nervously flitted around, and Topaz Tiger looked at the ground, slightly ashamed. Amber Mammoth nervously tried to back away, but his enormous girth made it hard for him to move without bumping into any of the ohers or going through walls.

"You make it sound like I'm an amnesiac," Johan tried to alleviate the mood. Amethyst Cat growled lowly, and he quickly shut up.

"Maybe we should give it a rest? We're all tired and it's still early." Emerald Turtle, ever the peacemaker, tried to calm her down. Sapphire Pegasus nodded in agreement, but Amethyst Cat looked torn.

"I don't like it," she hissed, "not one bit. And we're not finished with this." With that last statement, she disappeared abruptly. The other Gem Beasts and Johan exchanged looks, before Cobalt Eagle muttered something like: "... make sure she's alright" and disappeared as well.

Johan crawled back under the covers, and watched while his family disappeared one by one. Light filtered through the curtains, but it was still early morning, and he should probably try to sleep some more. He folded the pillow in half, trying to get more comfortable, and smiled slightly when Ruby reappeared and curled up next to him. Maybe he'd be able to sleep without nightmares.

--

It was already past noon when he woke up again ,and Johan decided that he really needed to get up earlier. But at least he'd been able to sleep soundly, without nightmares. Ruby was still curled up on his bed and didn't wake up when he got out.

A quick search through the fridge taught him that he still didn't have any food, except for two more eggs and the carton of milk he'd opened yesterday (it was the last one he had). He didn't really feel like heading downtown, but it was either shopping or starving, so half an hour later, Johan left his apartment and walked to the nearest supermarket.

It was exceptionally warm for the time of the year. A sign placed outside a shopping mall indicated a temperature of 20°C (in an attempt to appear foreign customer-friendly, the sign also read '68°F' in smaller lettering).

Johan didn't really mind though. He was still dressed in his school uniform, and that outfit was perfect for the climate in Japan, but in Norway, he normally took a coat with him. He had forgotten to put one on when he left his home, but had quickly found out that it hadn't been necessary.

After a fifteen-minute walk, he arrived at the supermarket, and he was pleased to notice that only a small number of shoppers were present. He quickly found bread and milk, and walked over to the vegetable section. He was trying to decide whether he should buy bell peppers or not when Topaz Tiger appeared.

"Did you get to the meat yet?"

"Not yet. Why?" Johan decided he was going to buy some of the bell peppers, and tried to pick a color.

"I like meat. It looks good."

Johan briefly contemplated the statement, and decided that it was less logical than it looked, as Topaz Tiger could not eat meat and could therefore have no appreciation for the taste of it. He wondered if Topaz Tiger somehow saw aesthetic value in everyday food. Maybe he should try to see it as well.

He focused on the bell peppers again. They really looked quite nice.

"Which color?"

"Yellow, I like it." Topaz Tiger answered promptly.

"You would." Johan said vaguely. He picked up one of the yellow bell peppers, and then took a red one too. He moved over to the cucumbers.

"Kitty!"

Johan abandoned the cucumbers and turned around. A little girl, maybe three or four years old, ran over to him and halted in front of Topaz Tiger. It was very clear she could see the spirit, and despite the fact that Topaz Tiger was much bigger than her, she didn't seem intimidated.

Topaz Tiger slightly tilted his head, confused, but Johan smiled. He enjoyed meeting children, and this one seemed to be very nice.

The girl reached out to Topaz Tiger, trying to touch him, and blinked in confusion when her hand went straight through. She turned around, facing Johan.

"Why can't I touch the kitty?"

Johan knelt down in front of her. "He's not really here. You can talk to him, though."

"Oh..." She seemed disappointed, "Mommy says that the things I see aren't real."

He felt a stab of annoyance, directed towards the child's mother. "Don't worry. It's all real."

That seemed to cheer her up, for she went back to Topaz Tiger.

"Hello!"

Topaz Tiger responded in kind, and she looked delighted.

"You're very big!"

"I'm a tiger," the spirit said kindly.

"What's a tiger?"

"It's a big cat." Johan answered her.

"Oh, there you are!"

Johan and Topaz Tiger looked up to see a woman walking towards them. She was obviously the girl's mother.

"I told you not to wander off!" She scolded the child. She turned to Johan.

"Did she cause any trouble?"

Johan quickly shook his head: "No, no, not at all! She's a very sweet girl!"

"Look, mommy, ti-ger!" The girl exclaimed, tugging her mother's sleeve and pointing at Topaz Tiger

Her mother didn't even look, and Johan felt the same stab of annoyance, only now stronger.

"How many times have I told you, there's nothing there!" she scolded again, and added, to Johan: "I don't know where she gets it from, she's always making up things."

"Oh, she's very perceptive." Johan said. The woman looked at him strangely, but he didn't pay her any attention anymore. Instead, he knelt in front of the girl again.

"Now, remember what I told you, okay? A lot of things are real."

The girl nodded enthusiastically. Her mother frowned.

"Well, thank you for taking care of her."

"It was my pleasure." Johan smiled disarmingly and watched the girl and her mother leave. The child waved, and Johan waved in return, while Topaz Tiger lifted a paw in a sort of improvised farewell.

"It makes me sad." Johan mused.

Topaz Tiger nodded in agreement, watching the girl disappear between the aisles.

"She's a good kid, she'll go far." The spirit said consolingly. Johan continued to stare at the place where the girl had disappeared.

"I hope so. Still, she's so young, who knows what'll happen. So many people who can see you have been ridiculed and traumatized. Terrible things can happen."

They both knew who Johan was talking about. Giese was someone who wouldn't be forgotten anytime soon.

He took his deck out of its holster (he always took it with him, not wanting to be separated from his family), and rifled through the cards, stopping every time he encountered a Gem Beast.

"They're asleep." Topaz Tiger said.

"I thought as much. They deserve it."

"You're okay now, aren't you? Did you sleep enough?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I feel much better now."

"Good," Topaz Tiger nodded firmly, "Anything else you need here?"

"Yeah, the meat. Did you forget already?" Johan said lightly. He proceeded through the aisles, only stopping briefly to grab a can of yogurt. A man pushing a shopping cart went past him, walking straight through Topaz Tiger.

"I hate it when they do that." the spirit said conversationally.

"Can you feel it?"

"Not really, it just looks weird."

"I can imagine." They arrived at the meat section, and Johan quickly found what he needed. He turned back to Topaz Tiger, who was looking around idly.

"Come on, let's go home."

* * *

To be honest, not even half of the stuff I wanted to happen in this chapter actually happened. Therefore, it's possible that chapter five (or four b, if you like) will be posted somewhere during next week.


	5. Mystery

Here's chapter five, and once again, episode 172 is very important here. Watching episodes 175 and 176 (and to a lesser extent 173 and 174) won't hurt either.

Also, thanks to **Olynthus** for helping me develop a rather important plot point

**Disclaimer:** None of the characters and/or situations described in the original series are mine. Nor would I want them to be mine.

* * *

It was a relief to get back to his apartment, the warm weather had left him in serious need of something cool to drink. Johan placed his shopping bags on the counter and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge, turning around just in time to see Amethyst Cat and Sapphire Pegasus appear. They both looked rather sleepy, Amethyst Cat yawning and stretching, and Sapphire Pegasus briefly unfolding his wings fully before folding them back up again. Johan watched them fondly.

"Good..." - he glanced at the clock - "afternoon. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes." Sapphire Pegasus answered. Amethyst Cat nodded in agreement. "How about you?"

"I'm fine. No more nightmares"

"At least you look better," Amethyst Cat observed. Topaz Tiger strolled into the kitchen, greeting his friends and slumping down onto the ground.

"What's the matter?" Johan asked.

"It's warm outside."

Sapphire Pegasus and Amethyst Cat exchanged puzzled looks.

"You do know we can't actually feel the heat, don't you?"

"It's the principle of the thing."

Johan laughed. Sapphire Pegasus turned back to him.

"When are you going to contact Manjoume?"

"I will, I just need to think of what exactly to ask."

Sapphire Pegasus didn't seem entirely convinced, but nodded anyway. Johan placed the bottle back into the fridge, took an apple and headed back for the living room. He sat down in front of the tv, but didn't switch it on, instead taking out his deck and sorting through it.

"Watch where you put that apple!" Amethyst Cat warned when he took a bite and placed it precariously close to her card. He quickly moved it away and started sorting out his deck by type, placing the Gem Beasts together on one side of the table and going over the Trap cards. He paused when he found Trap Strap.

It was a weird card, he decided. He watched the image carefully, looking how Ruby appeared with Hero Signal being discarded above her. The card was oddly specific.

Industrial Illusions had a habit of sending him Trap and Spell cards that were connected to the Gem Beasts, since he was the only one actually using them, so they would be worthless for the general public. A few more copies had been released, as collector's items, but normally only Johan got all the relevant cards.

Receiving Trap Strap had been a surprise, though. Not so much for its effect, which was rather ordinary, albeit very useful, but for the artwork. Hero Signal wasn't exclusively used by Judai, but it was definitely one of his signature cards and seeing it show up together with Ruby had been surprising. He doubted that it was a coincidence. He knew that Industrial Illusions kept a close watch on him, and he wouldn't put it above Pegasus to pull such a stunt. It didn't really matter, he reflected. Trap Strap was a useful card, and whether it was intentional or not, it reinforced his connection with Judai.

... Maybe he should add a copy of Polymerization to his side deck, on the off-chance that Judai was unable to summon Rainbow Neos if they dueled together once more. It couldn't hurt.

And Change of Heart couldn't hurt either. However much he enjoyed teaming up with Judai, he still wanted to beat him, and Judai might have the advantage of Super Fusion, but that didn't mean he had to be the one controlling Rainbow Neos. After all, there was more than one way to fuse opposing monsters together.

On the other hand, it did bother him to take control of his opponent's monsters. It didn't feel fair, somehow. He wasn't planning on adding those cards to his main deck anyway, they wouldn't be of much use.

He yawned and looked at the clock, surprised. There was really no reason for him to be tired. He had been wide awake ten minutes ago, so why did he feel so sleepy all of a sudden? It didn't make sense.

Then again, a lot of things didn't make sense these days, he reflected wryly. He gathered his cards again and thoroughly shuffled his deck. He didn't want to end up with all his monsters bunched together the next time he had to duel, given the small number of monster cards he actually possessed.

He had been accused of cheating before, since he always managed to have several monsters in his opening hand, but he figured that it was one of the advantages of having such a close bond with the Gem Beasts. They were always by his side.

As if to prove his point, Amethyst Cat jumped onto the sofa next to him.

"Are you tired again?"

He should've known that she would notice.

"Yes, I don't know why. I was fine a few minutes ago."

"You're not getting ill, are you? I wouldn't be surprised. Did you take a coat with you this morning?"

"No, but have you been outside yet? It feels like summer."

Amethyst Cat only shook her head, and at that moment Johan realized just how much she was like an older sister. It felt good, even though she was a bit overbearing at times.

"I"ll be fine, don't worry about it, okay?"

He pocketed his deck and lay down on the sofa. A short nap would be enough, hopefully.

"You're going to sleep again?" Amethyst Cat asked, "You're sleeping a lot lately." She didn't look happy.

"Just a short while. Wake me up in half an hour, okay?"

"If you say so. Well, sleep tight."

Johan nodded and closed his eyes. He lay awake for a few more minutes, but his mind was remarkably empty. He only hoped it would remain that way. He wanted to spend a few more weeks without going anywhere, and after that he would just have to see where life took him. It would turn out alright, though. He was sure of it.

_There's pain, so much pain. It feels like he's being torn apart, piece by piece and burned to ashes. He's blinded, the light's flooding his eyes and burning him, and he's falling, falling until only the smallest pie__ces remain._

_But he'll live. He has to, because there's work to be done. Revenge to be taken, and _he'll_ pay for doing this to him. It will be spectacular, beautiful, and it will be so easy. They broke him so thoroughly, and now it's their turn. How dare they... How dare _he_. _

_There's hatred, filling his entire being, and yet not. But hurting and protecting at the same time is so easy, 'cause he's doing it for _him. _There's no turning back. This world, it will never be the same again._

"Johan!"

He jerked awake, groaning and shakily getting up. Sapphire Pegasus was standing over him, and once again, he could see the other Gem Beasts materialize. They were staring, all of them.

"Johan, what's happening to you?" Topaz Tiger moved closer carefully, "You were screaming, and then you were mumbling, you sounded angry -no, hateful- It was so weird. Weirder than the other times, much weirder."

He didn't answer, only buried his head in his hands. The pain was overpowering and there really was no way that a dream should invoke such a potent physical reaction.

"Johan... Was it the same dream again? Was Judai in it?" Sapphire Pegasus asked.

_Judai... _The pain immediately disappeared, only to be replaced by a different, far more ugly feeling.

"Judai left us," he hissed through clenched teeth, "he left _me_! He never even cared, never!"

"Johan! What's wrong with you!" Amethyst Cat shouted, "What's going on! This is not like you!"

Johan abruptly came to his senses, shocked and gasping for breath. He felt ill, almost filthy, and there was such emotion running through him. Hatred, desperation, and an insane lust for revenge. What was happening to him?

"What's happening to me..." He was afraid now. Judai was his best friend, why would he want to hate him? What was causing all this?

It couldn't be... Darkness was gone, he had been beaten, so why now?

"Johan..."

"It's not Darkness, is it?" He asked frantically, "He's gone, isn't he?"

It was impossible. He had his darkness under control, he was sure of it. It couldn't be overpowering him.

But this hatred, all focused around Judai, why now? Was he so desperate to beat him? He felt an echo of anger well up and forcefully suppressed it. He couldn't give in. Not now, not ever. Impossible.

"Johan, what happened...?"

"My darkness... I think it's my darkness, it's overtaking me," he shook his head and almost whimpered, "it hurts."

"Johan, that can't be true. Why would it happen now? Darkness has been beaten, he's gone!"

"What else could it be?!"

"Johan, stop it!" Amethyst Cat said forcefully. "There's no evidence for that at all. Okay, so you've had a few weird dreams, and you're angry with Judai, but Darkness has been defeated. He can't hurt you!"

"He's not gone... He's never gone, as long as there are people on this earth, he'll never be gone. And me... I'm the worst of them all."

"How can you say that!" Emerald Turtle said, "You're one of the nicest people we've ever known!"

"But it's true," Johan pressed his palm against his chest, "Judai's a wonderful person and I only want to beat him. Hurt him."

"Exactly, beat him!" Amethyst Cat hissed, "But that's normal, didn't you say so yourself? And did you ever want to hurt him?"

"Yubel..."

"Don't you dare say it! You know that wasn't you, you weren't conscious, your soul wasn't even in your body!"

But that did nothing to help him.

"My soul wasn't in my body... Why could it be removed so easily? What if it wanted to hurt Judai all along, what if that's the reason why it didn't try to cling to this body?"

"Johan, that's ridiculous and you know it. I don't even know how you got to that conclusion!"

"Martin's soul..."

"Was still in his body, yes. And wat does that prove? How do you know that Yubel didn't get stronger? That she didn't need the soul to sustain the body anymore?"

Johan looked down, keeping silent. He felt terrible. What if his darkness was taking over him? When had it started? He had seen the infected Polymerization card...

"Oh, no, not again."

"What is it now?"

"Judai's Polymerization card. I could see its aura. I knew it was infected."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Amethyst Cat snapped, thoroughly frustrated.

"Could any of the others see it? Could they?"

"Look, Johan," Sapphire Pegasus butted in, "I don't know, and neither do you. But you try so desperately to pin the blame on yourself. Well, if you really want to know, there's a very simple solution."

"What solution?" Johan asked weakly.

"You are going to contact Manjoume, right now. I don't care how, but you're going to do it. It's still possible that every one who can see monster spirits can remember people or see auras. If you don't ask, you will never know."

Johan nodded mutely and got up. He had to grab hold of the sofa, to stop him from falling over when his legs refused to properly cooperate. The Gem Beasts waited for him, following him when he went to the study and booted up his computer.

It took a long time for the computer to start up - too long, in his opinion -, and even longer before he got to the right page, his nervousness causing him to click the wrong link several times. He finally managed, though, and the next few minutes were spent trying to constitute a coherent message. He and Manjoume had never been close, only very rarely having an actual face-to-face conversation, but this was absolutely necessary.

_From: Johan Andersen_

_To: Manjoume Jun_

_Subject: Darkness_

_Manjoume-kun,_

_I am very sorry to bother you. However, I need two questions answered and you are the only person who can answer them. _

_When Darkness invaded the world, did you ever see the darkness manifest itself? As in, did you ever see an aura of darkness coming from cards or people?_

_Also, could you remember any of the people Darkness beat?_

_Help would be very much appreciated._

_Sincerely,_

_Johan Andersen_

He read over the message several times, before finally clicking the 'send' button and leaning back in his chair. Writing had had a calming effect on him, and he felt the panic slowly ebb away, although he could still feel the pain and anger lingering at the edge of his subconscious.

He turned to the Gem Beasts, who were all watching him carefully.

"I'm sorry, I panicked."

"We noticed," Sapphire Pegasus responded curtly, though not unkindly.

"It's okay," Amber Mammoth told him, and the other Gem Beasts nodded in agreement. Ruby chirped softly.

He nodded at her: "Yes, now we just have to wait."

Right now, waiting was all he could do.


	6. A Desperate Situation

So, here you go. Chapter six. The story might go on a brief hiatus after this chapter or after next chapter, because there's a little thing called finals coming up.

Thanks again to **Olynthus** for reading this over and pointing out my mistakes.

**Disclaimer: **Owning the series would really take the fun out of writing this, so, no

* * *

It took Manjoume five days to reply, and during those five days Johan quickly became more and more agitated, to the point where the Gem Beasts had to frequently calm him down when he started panicking again.

In the meantime, the nightmares continued their habit of popping up every night, and one memorable night had him screaming so loud that one of his neighbours had almost called the police, thinking that someone had been attacking him.

The second day provided some distraction, though, as the dueling world was suddenly in uproar over a new Pro Circuit that had been formed. Johan wasn't surprised.

"_We now return to Kaiba Corporation's temporary headquarters, where a press statement has just been released."_

The image shifted to a different reporter, standing in front of Kaiba Corporation's logo and looking excited.

"_Kaiba Corporation's spokesman has just announced that the company intends to support this new Pro Circuit. Kaiba himself has released a statement outlining his thoughts on the new Circuit and the Pro Leagues in general. While we cannot reveal the full contents yet, it is very clear at this point that he views the Pro Leagues as corrupt and plans to use this new Circuit as 'a new beginning for the dueling world'."_

The anchorwoman took over again, briefly going over a few sheets of paper before addressing the audience:

"_We__ have just received new information concerning the founders of this new circuit, and we are proud to be the first to present you with an exclusive overview."_

The image shifted again, and the screen was now dominated by pictures of Ryo and Sho, next to each other.

_These two brothers have been confirmed as the creators of the new Pro Circuit. __Long-time viewers might remember Marifuji Ryo, seen on the right, as an upcoming talent in the Pro Leagues a few years ago, before his career was brutally shot down by Edo Phoenix. Despite many rumors, nothing was known about him until now. His younger brother, Marifuji Sho, on the left, is a recent graduate at Duel Academia, ranking as the third best of his year."_

Johan wondered what their definition of 'exclusive overview' was, because a quick search on the internet could have revealed all that and a lot more. The dueling world would be plunged in chaos for a few weeks, he suspected. He didn't really feel concerned.

He had developed a mantra over he past few days, and it kept repeating itself almost constantly in his head, never really giving him a chance to stop thinking and do something else.

_Dreams, memory, aura, Darkness_

His body was completely exhausted, but he willed himself to stay awake, knowing that sleep would make it worse. The previous three dreams seemed to repeat themselves on a random basis, but luckily no new dreams had invaded his sleep. Not that he slept much.

By the time Manjoume answered, Johan was close to falling over from exhaustion. He was therefore relieved when he finally got a reply. The Gem Beasts all crowded into the small study where his computer was located (Amber Mammoth stayed outside, as he was too big to actually fit in with them all), and read the mail together with him.

_From: Manjoume Jun_

_To: Johan Andersen_

_Subject: RE: Darkness_

_Andersen, why are you mailing me?_

_No, I did not see any darkness coming from cards, and no, I did not remember any of the erased duelists. I think that we established that, once defeated, you were gone._

_Every single one of us disappeared the moment we were beaten. Why are we still talking about this?_

_Manjoume Jun_

Johan shivered, first lightly, but the shaking became more and more pronounced as time passed. Ruby pressed against him, feeling his need for comfort, but not being able to actually provide it. The other Gem Beasts, who had been reading over his shoulder, looked at him warily.

"Johan... Are you okay?" Sapphire Pegasus asked carefully.

"He didn't remember..." Johan whispered, "didn't see..." He turned around. "Why could I?!'

"Johan, calm down!" Amethyst Cat shouted.

Johan tried to. He sank back into his chair, turned back to the computer screen and read over the mail several times, trying to find something -anything- he had missed. Anything that could help him alleviate his worries. His focus shifted to the end of the message.

_Every single one of us disappeared the moment we were beaten. Why are we still talking about this?_

This was not helping.

_Every single one of us disappeared the moment we were beaten. _

"But I didn't," he shakily drew a breath, "not immediately."

Sapphire Pegasus found the passage Johan was talking about.

"Maybe Manjoume was wrong...?" He offered tentatively.

Johan knew he was grasping at straws, but he clung to the idea nonetheless. He didn't know exactly when he had disappeared, but he knew that it wasn't when he should've. Fubuki had vanished almost the instant he had lost, while he had been around for several more minutes, long enough to see Judai defeat Fujiwara and even talk to him afterwards. Why had he remained rooted on earth for so long?

He quickly opened a new page.

_From: Johan Andersen_

_To: Austin O'Brien_

_Subject: _no subject

_O'Brien,_

_Sorry to disturb you, but I need something clarified._

_Is it true that those beaten by Darkness disappeared immediately afterwards?_

_Sincere__ly,_

_Johan Andersen_

He hesitated for a second, but then resolutely clicked the 'send' button. He slumped in his chair and closed his eyes, giving his thoughts free reign. It didn't make sense, none of it did. His darkness was overpowering him, but at the same time, he was practically immune to all the other effects Darkness had caused. What was going on?

He rested his head in his hands. There was no way he could figure all of this out. He didn't know enough. But there was no way he could continue living his life like this, not with the insecurity and not with the nightmares that assaulted him every other night. He needed someone who could actually help him.

Amethyst Cat must have read his thoughts.

"Where is Judai when you need him?"

Johan looked up to see her walking through the room nervously. He looked back at the computer screen and refreshed the page, in the vain hope that O'Brien had somehow already read his mail and sent him an answer. Predictably, the page didn't show any changes.

"Maybe you'd better do something else," Cobalt Eagle suggested, "take your mind off things."

Johan complied, getting up and heading for the living room. He switched on the TV, but absolutely nothing managed to hold his interest. The dueling world was still in uproar about the 'Marifuji circuit' as it had been dubbed, but Johan had heard everything before, and the old footage they insisted on repeating had been permanently engraved in his mind already. Since they didn't have much footage on Sho, the programmes mainly consisted of Ryo's short stint in the Pro Leagues and his subsequent defeat by Edo Phoenix. Johan strongly suspected that the channels were paid by the old Pro Leagues, in an attempt to discredit the new one.

He switched off the TV and got up, but immediately sat down again. He knew he was being jumpy, he had been for the past week or so, and nothing he had tried had been able to calm him down. He had half a mind to go out and buy sleeping pills, so he could finally get some rest, but he avoided heavy medication on principle, and he wanted to stick to his principles. They helped him retain some of his sanity, and they were something solid he could cling to.

He got up again, this time heading for the kitchen, and filling the kettle out of habit. Tea used to calm him down when he was younger, and while it had 'till thusfar proven to be ineffective, he figured he might as well give it another go. The wait was long, though. Even though the water couldn't have taken more than three minutes to cook, he found his mind going in circles, repeating his mantra over and over again.

_Dream__s, memory, aura, Darkness_

And he added a fifth element to the list.

_Dream__s, memory, aura, Darkness, rooted_

The water started to boil, and Johan got out a teabag and poured water in his mug. He drank, hissing when the hot water scalded his tongue, but swallowing the fluid nonetheless. The mug was quickly downed, and he put it back down, going back to the living room and switching on the TV again. He muted the sound and watched distractedly at the images flashing by.

The phone rang.

Johan looked up, startled. He didn't often receive phone calls, and it was nearing 10 o'clock already. He quickly got up and picked up the phone.

"Johan Andersen."

"_Johan? It's me, O'Brien. I got you__r mail."_

It was like receiving an electric shock. Johan was suddenly on high alert.

"Did they disappear?" He asked quickly.

"_Are you all right? You sounded rather... urgent."_

"Did they?" He asked again, a note of urgency in his voice.

"_Why do you need to know? __Are you in trouble?"_

"Just answer me, did they disappear or not?"

O'Brien stayed silent for a few seconds, before finally replying:

"_Yes, I think they did. I did, anyway."_

Johan sank down onto the sofa, breathing heavily. One more thing to worry about.

"_Johan? Are you still there?"_

"Yes," he breathed.

"_Good, because I want to know why you are so worried."_

"I'm not..."

"_You honestly expect me to believe that?__ You're panicking."_

Johan admitted defeat: "It's just... I didn't. I didn't disappear when Fujiwara beat me. Fubuki did, and everyone else too, but I didn't disappear until much later."

"_... What else?"_

"What do you mean?"

"_You're not one to panic easily. For you to get this worked up, there must be more.__"_

Johan sometimes wished O'Brien was less astute.

"Just... weird things. Coincidences, but too much of them."

"_Such as...?"_

"Weird dreams. Pain. And hatred."

"_What kind of hatred?__"_

Johan kept silent.

"_What kind of hatred?"_ O'Brien repeated.

"It's like I hate Judai, only I don't, but it feels like it. And my darkness, it's my desire to beat him. I think it's taking over." He was surprised at how matter-of-factly the statement sounded.

The other side of the line stayed silent for a long while.

"_Anything else you're worried about?"_

And Johan decided it might be better to tell the whole story. O'Brien probably wouldn't stop asking anyway, and it felt rather refreshing to tell an outsider about the past few weeks.

"I sent a message to Manjoume first. Asked him if he could remember any of the people whom Darkness defeated. Because I could. You told me you had already been defeated when I arrived in Domino. But I could still remember you."

"_Why would Manjoume be able to?"_

"We can both see monster spirits."

"_Good thinking. But I take it he couldn't?"_

"No..."

"_Anything else?"_

"I could see the aura of the infected cards. Manjoume couldn't either."

"_The dreams?"_ O'Brien's replies were becoming shorter and shorter.

"Two are more or less the same, I think. Fear and pain. But there's someone in it who sounds like Judai... It's probably nothing."

"_I doubt that. You think your darkness is taking over?"_

"Yes."

"_It doesn't sound like it."_

Johan did a double take: "What else can it be?"

"_Judai gets into a lot of weird situations. And so do we, by association."_

"True..." he didn't really know what else to say.

"_That person who sounds like Judai, what is he doing in your dreams?"_

"Yelling. Asking them to stop."

"_Stop hurting you?"_

"Yes..." Johan already knew where O'Brien was going.

"And yet you hate him later on. Why?"

"I don't know... There's pain too, but different. As if I'm burning up."

"_... I think that you __can be helped."_

"How? Where?"

"_I want you to stay where you are. I doubt that your darkness is causing this, but if you get any more nightmares, __contact me right away."_

"But..." Johan began.

"_Stay where you are,"_ O'Brien repeated, _"I think your Gem Beasts are capable of taking care of you for the time being."_

A dry click resounded. Johan stared at the phone incrediously for a second, not quite sure whether he should feel relieved or confused. He resignedly put the phone back down.

Fifteen minutes later, in an altogether different part of the world, an altogether different phone rang.


	7. Interlude: Power of Darkness

_Well, I'm back. This chapter signals the start of the second part of this story, as well as a shift in perspective. Nominally, this chapter is a follow-up of another story of mine, Badlands. Having read Badlands is not necessary to understand what's going on here, though._

_Thanks again to** Olynthus** for reading the first draft and picking out the mistakes in this chapter_

_**Disclaimer: **Still don't own_

* * *

**Mount Rushmore**** National Memorial, South Dakota - 2.50 p.m.**

A haggle of tourists had spread out on the Grandview Terrace, trying to get the best view of the famous sculpture. A few guides were attempting to do their job, but the overall excitement made it hard for them to work. One of them looked down from the Terrace, spotting someone walking around near the bottom of the rock formation. Most tourists prefered the Grandview Terrace, since it provided a better view, but this person had never come up.

The guide didn't know him, but he had been here for a while. He had shown up three days ago, accompanied by a cat and aimlessly wandering around. They had sent someone to go talk to him, but it had soon become clear that the boy didn't understand English. A Chinese and Japanese guide had been sent down next, and while they had managed to confirm that the boy was Japanese, they hadn't succeeded in getting any useful information from him. They had briefly considered calling the police, but the boy hadn't bothered anyone since his arrival, and he had managed to produce a valid entrance ticket. How he had even gotten hold of the ticket in the first place was something this particular guide didn't want to think about too much. Sometimes one was better off not knowing.

The boy in question, meanwhile, was staring up at the memorial, trying to take in the details, but finding it a bit hard to do. He briefly considered joining the other tourists, but he didn't care much for the crowds, and he was concerned about the cat. Besides, he was only passing through and the monument wasn't of any real interest to him.

A spirit appeared behind him, invisible to the majority of the people on Grandview Terrace (and even if they saw it, they would probably write it off as a hallucination), but clearly visible to the boy himself. He turned towards her.

"Slept well? It was a long trip."

"Yes, quite," she answered, "Judai, where are we going next?"

Judai shrugged: "Somewhere? Everywhere? We've got the whole world to see."

"I still can't believe we ended up in America. Did you find out where _exactly_ we are anyway?"

"What's the fun in knowing? We'll find out eventually."

"Still, there were enough people you could've asked. They do have Japanese guides here."

"I know," Judai answered lightly, "They've come down here, while you were asleep. They asked me for an entrance ticket."

He took out the ticket and showed it to Yubel. The origin of that ticket was much more mundane than anyone who knew Judai would have believed. He had just asked the first Japanese family he had come across for help, and they had bought him the ticket. The youngest child had recognised him, and while he hadn't reached the levels of fame that Edo Phoenix possessed, he had been named as the next great talent in the dueling world.

Yubel examined the ticket carefully, before nodding briefly. Judai pocketed it again.

"When do you want to leave?"

"Soon, but we'll go by foot this time."

Yubel looked vaguely offended: "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do! But this flying thing is exhausting you, and I don't want you to get hurt! If you would just let Neos or Flame Wingman handle it..."

"I can sleep it off. No need for them."

"If you won't do it for yourself, then do it or me at least. I really don't want you to suffer from this! Besides, I'm the one sustaining your physical form, this drains my powers too."

Yubel sighed and admitted defeat. Judai looked up at the sky, more out of habit than out of a genuine expectation to see something interesting. A few children on the Grandview Terrace pointed at him, and he waved. The bravest ones waved back.

Pharaoh walked over to him, slumping down in front of his feet and yawning widely. A ball of light escaped from the cat's mouth and assumed the familiar form of Daitokuji-sensei. He glanced around to see where he had ended up, quickly stepping a few feet to the side when he spotted Yubel next to him. Pharaoh meowed loudly, and he recoiled, but the cat apparently didn't feel like giving chase, for it rolled over and closed its eyes.

"Judai-kun, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine. Why don't we find some shade? It's warm here."

The sensation was lost on both spirits, but they agreed anyway. Judai got down and prodded Pharaoh with one finger, trying to get him to move. The cat cracked open one eye indignantly, but paid him no further heed. Judai smiled slightly, and picked up the animal, carrying him over to a place in the shade.

He placed his load on the ground carefully, and Pharaoh shifted slightly, but continued to sleep on.

"How long do you plan on staying in America?"

Judai turned to Yubel and shrugged: "Like I said, I don't know. We'll see."

"We've been here for ten days. Wha-"

She was abruptly cut of by a muted sound, coming from Judai's duffel bag. Judai spent a few second digging through the bag before retrieving his cellphone. It was buzzing, and the ringtone was now clearly audible. Judai opened the phone.

"Hello?"

His eyes widened in surprise.

"O'Brien? You're calling me?"

He listened intently while O'Brien spoke, nodding once or twice, before answering again:

"America. Not sure where exactly, but there's a big rock with faces carved into it. It's some sort of landmark, apparently."

He laughed embarrasedly at O'Brien's answer, mumbling "should've known", but his expression quickly became serious again.

"Why do you want to come and get us? We'll get out of here on our own, no worries."

He exchanged looks with Yubel, his face steadily growing more serious.

"Me? Why would he..." Judai looked genuinely troubled now. He inhaled deeply before continuing.

"So, darkness, what do you think?"

Daitokuji-sensei looked panicked at the mention of darkness, trying to say something, but Judai quickly shushed him, still listening intently.

"I see. When did all of this start happening?"

He nodded a few times in quick succession.

"Okay, I'll wait here. You can trace me?"

Judai nodded again, then quickly said goodbye and slid his cellphone shut, but didn't switch it off. He turned to Yubel, addressing her directly.

"We 're going to have to leave. Industrial Illusions is sending a helicopter to pick us up."

Yubel frowned: "Why? I thought you wanted to see the world?"

Judai waved dismissively: "That can wait. Something important's come up."

"Even so, why do you need a helicopter? You know I can just as well fly you out of here."

Judai laughed slightly, although he didn't sound entirely happy: "We've been over this before. That would be far too taxing, both for you and for me. Unless you think you can handle flying me over the better part of America and the Atlantic?"

"Atlantic? Judai, where are we going?"

Judai looked up at the sky, even though it was much too early for the helicopter to arrive.

"I take it we're not going back to Japan?" Yubel pressed.

Judai looked at her, smiling slightly.

"This is important, we're making a detour first."

"Where to?"

"Have you ever wanted to visit Europe?"

* * *

_Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, but making it longer would've meant dragging it out, because there was nothing left to say_


	8. Determination

Not much to say here, so enjoy.

Once again, lots of thanks to **Olynthus**!

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own it, I still don't want to

* * *

After almost a week of too-warm weather, it had finally started to rain, but instead of downpour, the rain was no more than a drizzle. It managed to thoroughly irritate those people who had to be outside, but didn't get rid of the stuffy atmosphere.

Johan didn't have to be outside, though. In fact, he had been expressly forbidden to leave his apartment, and he was fine with that. Shortly after his conversation with O'Brien, he had fallen asleep on the sofa, and he had slept for a solid ten hours.

It was ten past eight the following day when he woke up again, feeling better than he had in several days. Sunlight was starting to filter through the curtains, and Johan blinked groggily, lifting one hand to block the incoming light. He shifted slightly and felt his muscles protest; the couch wasn't the most comfortable spot to sleep on.

He got up and stretched briefly, then went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of fruit juice. Ruby appeared next to him.

"Good morning," he greeted her. She let out a soft "Rubii" in return and settled down on his shoulder. Johan returned to the living room, taking the bottle and a glass with him, and sat down on the couch again.

There was something therapeutic about going from the kitchen to the living room and back again. It seemed like that was all he had actually been doing the last days, and the routine of it all gave him something solid to hang on to. He picked up the remote control, but put it back down after realising that there wouldn't be anything interesting to watch, especially not at this time of the day. Ruby moved from his shoulder to his lap, curled up and yawned widely. He watched as she quickly fell asleep, then carefully moved into a more comfortable position.

"I'm sorry," he told her softly, "I haven't been good company lately."

He did feel better. He still had no idea what was going on, but the idea that it might not be his darkness troubling him calmed him greatly. Having been able to sleep had also helped, of course.

Amethyst Cat appeared next to the TV set, eyeing him critically before gracefully walking over and jumping on the couch, next to him. They sat in silence for a while, Johan absentmindedly playing with the sleeve of his pajamas (he should change, he decided), and Amethyst Cat licking her front paws. After deciding that her paws were sufficiently cleaned, the spirit looked back at him.

"You look better."

"I feel better," Johan agreed, "I finally got to sleep."

"So no weird dreams?"

"None. At least, none that I can remember."

"Can you think clearly again?"

"I think so. Sorry for having to put up with me, it must've been terrible for all of you."

Amethyst Cat snorted, but she smiled anyway:

"It was only terrible because we don't want to see you suffer. We're glad to have you back."

"Thanks..." Johan smiled slightly. He closed his eyes for a second. In the distance, a clock chimed once.

"It still doesn't make sense, though," Johan began, "I mean, if it isn't my darkness overpowering me, then what is it?"

"I have no idea. Do you?"

Johan shook his head: "I wouldn't be asking if I knew."

"Just let it go for now. Do something else. Maybe those dreams won't come back."

"We've thought that before. They always come back, so I'd better be prepared for it."

Amethyst Cat looked straight at him: "If you're planning on not sleeping again, forget it. I don't want a repeat of last week."

"Don't worry, neither do I."

"Good." Amethyst Cat shifted slightly, lifted one paw and gently touched Ruby, who was still sleeping.

"You have no idea how worried she was," she said softly, "we all were, but I've never seen her this distressed. She was always worrying... In the end, we had to stop her from leaving, she wanted to find someone to help you herself."

Johan stayed silent, looking at the spirit lying on his lap. He bowed his head.

"I'm really sorry."

"It's not your fault, not really."

"Yeah, but I shouldn't have panicked. It's not like me."

"No, it's not, but you can be excused."

"Who did she want to go to?"

"Who do you think? The only person who would be able to see her and be capable of helping you."

Johan nodded slowly: "Judai shouldn't come here, though."

"Why not?"

"Even if it isn't Darkness, I still wanted to hurt Judai. Every time I had that one dream, I desperately wanted to hurt him. What would happen if I had that dream and he was actually here?"

He felt the anxiety slowly returning: "I really don't want to hurt Judai, he's my friend! But if he comes here... I don't know."

"Judai can take care of himself. Even if that were to happen, he still wouldn't let you hurt anyone."

"I'm stronger..."

"Only physically," Amethyst Cat corrected, "besides, a few hours of sleep aren't going to replenish all your energy. You're still weak. And Judai isn't here, so you don't need to worry about that."

"Even so... It could still be dangerous."

"Don't worry about it. Why don't you just do something else?"

Johan picked up the remote control again and switched on the TV, but as he had predicted, there was nothing interesting to watch. He spent some time flicking through channels, but eventually gave up and pressed the 'off' button. He briefly considered looking for a book or a magazine, but doing so would mean getting up, and he didn't want to disturb Ruby.

Amethyst Cat had disappeared again a few minutes ago, and Johan missed her company. He would've liked someone to talk to, if only because being alone did nothing to alleviate his worries. In hindsight, it wasn't really logical for his darkness to be affecting him, too many things just didn't add up. But that didn't help him to solve this entire mystery. He hoped he would be able to find an answer soon. Once in a while, he longed for some sort of normal life.

He felt like the only thing he could do was wait and hope that a solution would somehow come to him, but he found it hard to do.

--

In California, at Industrial Illusions headquarters, a privately chartered airplane was getting ready for take-off. One of the few passengers on board had just spent five hours in a helicopter, and was now getting ready for another twelve-hour flight.

--

At one o'clock, Ruby woke up again. Johan smiled at her lazily, before getting up and going to the kitchen in search of food. He had spent the last four hours sitting down, just thinking and occasionally talking to the other Gem Beasts, who had shown up at regular intervals. They all agreed that a lot of things didn't make sense, but, as Cobalt Eagle had put it, 'the world stopped making sense the moment we set foot at Duel Academia'.

He felt drowsy. Amethyst Cat had been right when she had sad that he hadn't regained all of his energy yet, and just sitting and doing nothing was very tiresome.

Johan quickly finished the sandwich he had made, and then headed for his bedroom, in search of clean clothes. He wondered if he should take out his school uniform again, but finally opted for a shirt and jeans and went to the bathroom.

--

Almost four hours later, Johan was still lounging around in the living room. He had taken a book with him, but he had already read it once before and the plot failed to retain his interest. He yawned, then sighed resignedly. This had happened before, and every time he started to feel tired, he would fall asleep within the hour, even if he tried to stay awake. He'd usually be woken up again within the next two hours, more often than not by the Gem Beasts.

There was really no way to stop himself from sleeping. Neither was there a way of stopping himself from dreaming.

"You're going to fall asleep again, aren't you?"

Amethyst Cat and Sapphire Pegasus appeared. They looked concerned.

"Yes, probably."

"We'll watch out for you," Sapphire Pegasus promised.

"Thanks," Johan smiled slightly and put the book down. As he had predicted, he fell asleep within the next ten minutes.

_He can see the entire kingdom from up here._

_It's marvellous and peaceful, and he hopes that the peace will never be broken. But he knows that one day there'll be a fight._

_And he's ready._

_He knows what will happen, but he wants to do this, because _he_ needs protection, and he's the only one capable of doing this._

_And no matter how much it will hurt, no matter the consequences, he wants to go through with it. he won't let anyone else take his place._

He_ would probably disagree, try to stop him or change his mind, but he will do this._

_He loves him and wants to protect him. That's really all that matters._

He had never woken up just like that, someone else always had to wake him up, but he was awake now, and no one was yelling. He got up, and Sapphire Pegasus lifted his head.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Are the dreams gone? You looked so peaceful."

Johan shook his head and frowned: "No, I did dream. But it was different."

Amethyst Cat came from behind the sofa and sat down on the floor.

"Must have been," she told him, "you were calm for once."

"It didn't hurt. There was a country, and I could see everything."

"Is it a completely unrelated dream?" Sapphire Pegasus asked.

"No, I don't think so, " Johan closed his eyes briefly, trying to recall the details, "There's someone I want to protect. Someone I love. I don't know, but during the first two dreams, I felt the same."

"Someone you love?"

"Yes... It's weird."

Sapphire Pegasus opened his mouth, but closed it again. Johan got up.

"What time is it?"

"Almost nine o'clock. Don't you think you should eat?"

"I'm not really hungry. Maybe later."

Johan picked up his book again, and opened it on the place where he had stopped reading. The plot still didn't manage to captivate him, but nevertheless, he read on.

--

At Bergen International Airport, several planes were waiting for permission to land. One of them hadn't been scheduled to arrive that day, and the airport personnel had had to scramble to clear one of the smaller runways in time. The few passengers on board had just woken up and were now watching as the airport building grew bigger and bigger.

"We're here," one of them said quietly.

The passing flight attendant thought he was just talking to himself.

--

Johan closed the book he had been reading and put it to the side. He had almost finished it, but now he really was hungry, and the book wouldn't be going anywhere. He decided against cooking, and took out a slice of bread and a knife. He found the cheese near the back of the fridge, and quickly cut off a piece, then grabbed a plate and returned to the living room, munching on the bread. It had been a surprisingly calm day, especially compared to the previous days, and he hoped that he would have a calm night as well.

He was just about to voice that sentiment to Sapphire Pegasus, who was still standing in the living room, when someone knocked on his front door.

Johan looked up. Why would anyone be visiting him now, at this time of the day? And why hadn't they used the intercom instead of coming up directly?

He frowned. How had they even gained access to the building?

There was another knock, and Johan decided he might as well go and find out who was on the other side of the door. He quickly crossed the hallway and turned the key, then opened the door slightly.

He almost reeled back in surprise.

"Judai?"

"Hi, can I come in?"

It was Judai, and Johan could see Yubel standing behind him. Pharaoh made use of the open door to slip inside.

"What are you doing here?" Johan opened the door a bit wider, but still didn't let him enter.

"Getting Pharaoh back, it seems." Judai pointed at the cat, who had stopped in the middle of the hallway and was now looking at him expectantly, "Are you going to let me in, Johan?"

Johan hesitated: "I'm not sure if that's a good idea..."

Judai frowned: "O'Brien called me. According to him, you were in trouble. Either way, I'm coming in."

"I should've known... I'm not going to be able to stop you, am I?"

"No, you're not."

Johan opened the door fully.

"All right then, come in."


	9. Profound Words

Sorry for the delay, but here's chapter 9, the chapter I've been looking forward to writing the most, and at the same time the one I'm most nervous about.

Once again, major thanks to **Olynthus**, first and foremost for convincing me that this isn't utter crap.

**Disclaimer: **Don't own, don't want

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"I'm sorry for arriving so late," Judai began, once they had all entered the living room, "I didn't wake you up, did I?"

Johan shook his head: "No, I was still awake. Do you want anything? I've still got soda somewhere."

"Never mind that now."

Johan turned to face Judai.

"Johan, what has been going on? 'Cause you may act cheerful, but you look exhausted."

"It's been worse," Sapphire Pegasus butted in, "you should've seen him yesterday."

"I gathered as much," Judai nodded, "Johan?"

Johan sighed: "Sit down. How much has O'Brien told you?"

Judai got down onto the couch and Pharaoh jumped onto his lap. He started petting the cat absentmindedly, all the while keeping an eye on Johan, who had grabbed a chair and was now sitting in front of him. Sapphire Pegasus went to stand next to the chair, while Yubel stationed herself right behind Judai.

"O'Brien said that you've been having nightmares. Three, am I right?"

"Four," Johan corrected, "but the fourth one wasn't really a nightmare."

"Four then. And O'Brien mentioned darkness...?"

"Ah, yes. In one of those dreams..." Johan trailed off. It seemed ridiculous to hate Judai now. Because even though he still didn't want Judai here, part of him was so happy to see him.

"You hated me." Judai said, and Johan looked straight at him. Judai bowed his head slightly: "Do you really, Johan?"

"No! I couldn't hate you! There's only that one dream, never the other ones..."

Judai lifted his head again and looked at him searchingly: "If you want, I can tell. I can see the darkness."

"Go ahead."

Judai placed Pharaoh next to him, then rose from the couch and placed one hand lightly on Johan's chest. He briefly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the normal brown had been replaced by dark gold and blue.

"Judai?"

"I don't sense anything abnormal... There's no more darkness within you than before."

"Judai, your eyes?"

"What?" Judai looked surprised, "Didn't you know?"

"I've never seen something like this before." Johan stared at him, fascinated. He focused the spirit standing behind Judai, "Are they Yubel's eyes?"

"Yes." Judai frowned slightly, "I can't believe you've never seen these eyes before... Didn't I ever show them to you?"

"No, never."

"That's strange, I really thought you knew. When we fused I gained access to Yubel's powers."

"I see..."

Judai's eyes changed back, and he sat down again.

"I can sense your darkness, but it's not overflowing. I don't think you need to worry about it."

Johan relaxed slightly. It was one thing to be assuming that Darkness wasn't controlling him, another to have it confirmed. He felt relieved.

"But that doesn't solve your problem," Judai continued, " Johan, please tell me what happened in your dreams."

Johan glanced at the clock: "Wouldn't it be better if we continue tomorrow? It's almost eleven o'clock and there's a lot to tell."

Judai followed his gaze, then briefly nodded. Johan got up and went to his bedroom, motioning for Judai to follow him.

"I've still got a spare mattress under my bed. Would you mind helping me for a second?"

They managed to haul the mattress out from under the bed, and Johan went off in search for sheets and a blanket. He returned and dropped the sheets on his bed, then took out a pair of pajamas and tossed them at Judai.

"We"re roughly the same size, so they should fit. If you want, you can shower, just leave your clothes in the bathroom. I'll wash them tomorrow."

Judai nodded and headed for the bathroom, while Johan quickly made the second bed. When Judai reappeared, his hair still wet and dressed in pajamas that were slightly too big for him, Sapphire Pegasus was standing in the middle of the room.

Johan grabbed a second pair of pajamas and went to the bathroom himself. Judai sat down on the makeshift bed.

"Judai, we're all grateful that you came."

Judai drew up his legs and turned his head to face Sapphire Pegasus.

"There was no way I wouldn't have come. I don't want Johan to be in trouble, especially not if it has to do with me."

"We're counting on you, all right? You're the only one who can help him, we don't know what to do anymore."

"Is it really that bad?" Judai asked worriedly, "I mean, O'Brien told me that it was bad, but the way you say it..."

"He hasn't slept for nearly a week. Only yesterday did he finally sleep peacefully again. You came here on a good day."

"What?! Why didn't someone tell me this sooner!"

Sapphire Pegasus bowed his head: "We didn't know where you were. He tried to contact Manjoume. The answer wasn't what he expected."

"Manjoume? What was the question?"

"Judai. Leave it for now. Ask him tomorrow." Yubel appeared in between the two beds, "You're tired as well. We all are."

Judai wanted to protest, but finally decided against it. They sat in silence for several minutes. Sapphire Pegasus kept throwing nervous glances at Yubel, until he finally decided that the silence had become too uncomfortable and bid them goodnight.

Johan appeared a few minutes later, suppressing a yawn and trying to get the water out of his hair. He lay down on his bed, and Judai followed his example.

Johan switched off the light.

"Judai, Yubel, good night!"

"Sleep tight, Johan" Judai replied, and Yubel nodded.

They were both asleep within minutes.

--

Three hours later, Judai woke up again. He spent half an hour tossing and turning in his bed, but after failing to fall asleep again, he threw off the covers and left the bedroom.

He quickly found the kitchen and opened the fridge, looking for something edible. Yubel appeared behind him.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"No, jetlag." Judai closed the fridge again, and went digging through the cabinets. He finally settled for a packet of cookies he found in the second cabinet he opened, and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Don't you think that's a bit impolite?"

"Johan won't mind. And I'll pay him back."

"You don't have any money."

"I'll find a way."

Yubel went to stand behind Judai, and lightly rested her hands on his shoulders. She stared pensively at the kitchen wall.

"Do you think it was a good idea to come here?"

"That doesn't matter," Judai replied, "Johan is in trouble and I will help him."

"Yet you owe him nothing."

"I don't have to. He's my friend," Judai turned around and looked Yubel straight in the eyes, "Are you jealous?"

"I am scared that you will get hurt."

"Yubel... I promised you my love and you have it, always. But I love my friends as well and that won't change. I know you're not fond of Johan, but will you help me with this?"

"I will. For your sake."

"Thank you," Judai smiled, "it means so much."

"Judai?"

Topaz Tiger appeared, quickly followed by the other Gem Beasts. Ruby landed on Judai's shoulder. Hane Kuriboh materialized as well, and found great pleasure in poking Ruby with his wings. Everyone ignored the following scuffle.

"Hello everyone."

"We're really glad that you're here," Emerald Turtle began, "we were getting desperate."

"Judai, you'll help Johan, right?" Amethyst Cat asked, "you'll save him like before, won't you?"

"I definitely will."

"Thank you so much," Cobalt Eagle stated, and the other Gem Beasts nodded in agreement.

"It's no problem. Not at all. Will you tell me what happened?"

Sapphire Pegasus took over: "All this... It started when we were on the plane. Johan had fallen asleep, and we were all sleeping too, but suddenly he started screaming... We didn't know what to do, but the other passengers woke him up fairly quickly and he claimed that he was all right."

"He told us not to worry," Cobalt Eagle continued, "but then it happened again, and the third time... Well, that was the time he became so angry with you. "

"There's more to it, though," Sapphire Pegasus began again, "he's been having this weird realisations all the times, things that don't add up. That's why he contacted Manjoume."

"What kind of reali-"

But he never got to finish his sentence, because at that moment screaming filled the apartment.

"Johan!" Amethyst Cat exclaimed, immediately taking off towards the bedroom, the other Gem Beasts right behind her. Judai threw his chair back with such force that it clattered on the floor, and took off running as well. He arrived in the bedroom only to find Johan thrashing around, trying to curl up as much as possible and clutching his head. Judai quickly grabbed his wrists to stop him from moving, but since Johan was stronger than him, and probably desperate to boot, he had trouble keeping him still.

"Johan! Wake up! Come on, just wake up!"

Judai was now trying to hold him down by throwing his full weight on to him, but he still had trouble hanging on.

"Johan!"

Finally, some of it seemed to get through to the struggling boy, for his movements stilled and he hazily opened his eyes, focusing on Judai.

"Haou?"

Judai released his wrists and stepped back in surprise: "Johan... What?" He glanced at Yubel, who seemed just as surprised as him, and at the Gem Beasts, who were looking back and forth between Johan and Judai.

"It happened again, didn't it..." Johan said weakly. He got up slowly, once again clutching his head.

"Johan, which one was it?" Amber Mammoth called from the back of the room.

"Second one, I think... I'm not sure."

"How so, you're not sure?" Sapphire Pegasus asked, while Judai murmured disbelievingly: "You numbered them?"

"The first and the second one are so similar... that person was again calling for me, but,"

-Johan turned to Judai- "you were also yelling, right? I heard you."

"Yes, why does that matter?"

Johan grinned, slightly embarrassed. The look would've suited him, if it weren't for the fact that he was still clutching his head.

"In that dream, there's someone who sounds like you."

Judai looked shocked, then suddenly frowned: "You said Haou. Why?"

"I did?"

"Don't you remember?"

"N-No, not really."

Judai sat down next to Johan.

"Okay, first things first, you said you contacted Manjoume. Why was that?"

"Judai, it's four o'clock."

"And we're all awake anyway," Judai persisted, "so you might as well tell me now."

Johan sighed, slowly removing one hand from his forehead. He lay down again.

"Remember when I dueled you in Domino?"

Judai nodded shortly.

"I could see that your Polymerization card was infected."

"You could, yes... What's important about that?"

"No one else could."

"We were the only ones there..."

"Judai, I mean in general! No one else had ever been able to see that aura, I asked!"

Judai stayed quiet for a long time, then asked: "Was there more?"

Johan nodded: "I remembered everyone. That's what I asked Manjoume in the first place, I thought that, because I could see monster spirits, I could also remember."

"You remembered... That's right! Everyone was gone and yet you never seemed to have forgotten them!"

"I never forgot them."

"But Manjoume did, didn't he? So what did you do then?"

"There was one more thing. I didn't disappear immediately like everyone else, you know that. I wondered why. That's when I sent that message to O'Brien, and you know the rest."

Judai leaned back against the bedroom wall, his expression pensive. Johan sat up slightly and adjusted his pillow, so that it gave him more support. Ruby floated over to him and curled around his neck.

"The dreams?" Judai asked, after staying silent for several minutes.

"The first two are almost the same. There's always pain, and I can't see. Only, in the second one there's this person who sounds like you..." Johan trailed off, and looked at Judai hesitantly. Judai was staring straight ahead, listening intently but apparently not seeing anyone in the room. He motioned for Johan to continue.

"The third... There's still pain, but in the first two there's always someone I want to protect. In this one... I only feel hate. Like I want revenge, only I don't know for what!"

"On me..." Judai murmured, and he once again looked very much disturbed by the idea.

"Yes, but.. It's not true!" Johan quickly added, "I mean, you didn't desert us, so why would I hate you for that?"

Yubel moved abruptly. Judai stared at her, his eyes suddenly wider than before. An idea was starting to form.

"You don't think..." he mouthed, but Yubel didn't reply.

"Judai?"

"Yes, sorry. There were four, right?"

"The fourth one is... different. There's this country, and I think I'm standing on top of a building, because I can see most of it. No pain, but the same desire to protect."

"Country... Say, Johan, this country, what does it look like?"

"There's an ocean, I think. White houses as well."

"Lots of green and a river? And a purple sky?"

Johan turned his head: "How did you know...?"

But Judai ignored him: "Yubel, are you following me?"

"I am. And I don't like it."

"Judai? What are you talking about?"

"A part of your story -no, most of your story-, it's one I know already," Judai explained quickly, "And I think I also know what it means now."

"Well, what does it mean?" Topaz Tiger burst out impatiently.

"I'm getting there. Not sure if you'll like it or not-"

"I doubt it." Yubel interrupted.

"-but it explains a lot."

"Judai?" Johan asked wearily, "Are you going to explain or not?"

And suddenly Judai grinned and jumped up from the bed: "Johan, remember when we first met, how we seemed to know each other already?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"Now remember when I told you about Haou and Yubel? How Yubel sacrificed himself for Haou's sake?"

"Yes... Judai, what are you getting at?"

"Just now you mentioned Haou when you woke up. You said you felt like you wanted to protect someone."

"I still don't understand..."

"Honestly Johan, you're smart enough to see through almost every strategy your opponents use, and yet you can't figure this out?"

"Just get to the point already!" Amethyst Cat yelled. Judai seemed to catch himself, and grinned apologetically.

"I'm sorry. But Johan, about those dreams you've been having. If I'm right -and I'm pretty sure I am- , they're not dreams, but memories."

Realisation started to dawn.

"You're not saying..."

"I am," Judai nodded briefly, taking on the air of someone who had just solved a big mystery, "We were right. We have met before. Because all the things you told me, all the dreams you had, point to only one explanation."

Johan's eyes widened: "It can't be..."

"You are Yubel. You are Yubel like I am Haou."

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_At this point, you either hate me, love me, or think I'm terribly predictable. And for once, I'd actually like to know. I know I usually don't ask for reviews, and this is going to be one of the only times I will, so yeah, please review?_


	10. Courage to Confront

Chapter 10, and now it's really almost over. The next chapter will be the final chapter of of this story.

Thanks a lot to **Olynthus**, for picking out the mistakes and putting up with my sleep-depraved mind.

**Disclaimer: **If I wanted it, I would've said by now.

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"You're actually serious," Johan breathed, "you actually mean it..."

"Yes! Don't you see it?"

"But..." Johan swallowed heavily, "How did that happen? I mean, why me?"

Judai shrugged: "No idea. You could ask the same about me, though. That's just the way it is."

"That doesn't make sense, Judai, you can't be right." Amethyst Cat made her way over to the bed and jumped on it, sitting down in between Johan and Judai.

Judai frowned: 'Why not?"

"For starters, if Johan is Yubel, how can they be in the same room at the same time? And you're so fast to draw that conclusion. Why is that?"

"She's right," Sapphire Pegasus said, "Judai? Why is that?"

"I don't think that Johan is the Yubel you're seeing now," Judai began, "Just that he's the Yubel who was human."

Amethyst Cat frowned and brought her face close to Judai's: "You're avoiding the question. Why are you so fast to decide this?"

"Do you want Johan to be Yubel?" Cobalt Eagle asked.

Judai didn't answer. Amethyst Cat gasped.

"You want Johan to be Yubel, you really want him to be!"

Johan stared at him incredulously: "Judai... Why?"

"It's not that! Johan, I want to help you!"

"You didn't deny it. Why do you want me-"

"That's besides the question."

Johan looked up, facing Yubel directly for the first time: "Is it true?"

"I don't like it. But I agree with Judai."

"I don't understand..."

"Johan, you shouldn't believe it!" Topaz Tiger yelled. He jumped up, pushing Amethyst Cat out of the way so that he was now face to face with Judai: "It's your idea, isn't it? I don't know what you're playing at, but you will not hurt Johan. I won't allow it!"

Yubel and Johan moved at the same time, trying to get between Judai and Topaz Tiger.

"Please, stop!" Johan shouted, "It's not Judai's fault!"

Topaz Tiger growled lowly, but backed away. Johan looked at Judai out of the corner of his eye. The boy's earlier excitement had disappeared.

"Johan, I'm sorry. But I wouldn't lie to you."

"I know," Johan got up, "I need to be alone for a while."

He left the room quickly, and made his way over to the living room, where he sat down on the couch. He folded up his legs underneath him, staring blankly ahead of him and giving his thoughts free rein.

He wanted to say that it made no sense, but the problem was that it did. And he knew Judai wouldn't lie to him, he trusted him. But it was hard. His whole life had suddenly been turned upside down. What was real and what wasn't?

If he was Yubel, what did that really make him? Did he even have his own life? Or was he just some plaything of fate, destined to do the same things over and over again?

Who was he really?

He shook his head quickly, to rid himself of he last thought, but it refused to go away. He spotted movement out of the corner of his eye, watched Pharaoh jumping of a chair and walking over to him. The cat jumped onto the couch, and nudged his hand with its head. Johan absently petted it.

Pharaoh yawned widely, and to his surprise, Johan noticed a small ball of light escape from its mouth. The sphere hovered in front of him for a second, before moving to his right, and expanding, until Johan could make out the form of a human spirit.

"Johan-kun, good morning."

"Good morning," Johan greeted in return, "You are Daitokuji-sensei, right? It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," Daitokuji-sensei replied, "You appear to be troubled."

"Ah, yes..."

"Would you like to talk?"

Johan paused, then nodded. An outsider's perspective might help.

"Do you know...?" he began.

Daitokuji-sensei lifted one hand in embarrassment: "I couldn't help but overhear..."

Johan slouched slightly, placing his hands behind his head and watching Pharaoh as the cat climbed onto his lap and settled down.

"I'm not sure what to do, really."

"Does it bother you?"

"I'm..." Johan frowned slightly, "I'm not really sure. Is it true?"

"I do believe it is. Of course, I have been wrong before."

"It explains a lot, but Yubel and me..."

"Are you afraid, Johan-kun?"

"Of Yubel? Not really... But we are not on good terms."

Daitokuji-sensei nodded sagely: "Johan-kun, you are a remarkable person."

"How so?" Johan asked, "I am not special like Judai."

"You have a pure heart and you are able to forgive. You don't hate Yubel, even though you have every right to do so."

"Judai trusts her."

"And you trust Judai-kun?"

"Yes, always."

"Then that makes you very remarkable. To be able to trust completely is a very rare gift indeed."

"I guess..."

"What troubles you?"

"If Cobalt Eagle was right... Does Judai really want me to be Yubel?"

"Judai-kun cares a lot about you," Daitokuji-sensei smiled slightly: "I daresay that he would like to reinforce the connection between you two."

"There's no need for-"

"No. This bond the two of you share is extraordinarily strong. But Judai-kun too needs to be reassured sometimes."

"I don't know what I should do now."

"Johan-kun, you are strong. And everyone here will help you. You are not alone."

Johan stared at Daitokuji-sensei, who nodded reassuringly: "You mustn't worry."

"Thank you," Johan smiled. He yawned and closed his eyes.

"Maybe you should rest? It is very early."

"Yes, maybe..."

"Then I will leave you now. It was a pleasure to meet you, Johan-kun."

"Yes. And thank you."

Daitokuji-sensei smiled lightly, before turning back into a small orb of light. Pharaoh jumped up from Johan's lap.

"Good luck, Johan-kun!"

Pharaoh jumped and snatched to sphere out of the air, toying with it for a few seconds before opening its mouth and swallowing it. Johan stretched out on the couch. He didn't feel like facing Judai and the Gem Beasts yet, and the couch had become like a second bed to him. He had no trouble sleeping there anymore.

--

When Johan woke up he noticed that it was nearing twelve o'clock. He also noticed that someone -probably Judai- had covered him with a blanket. He noticed a weight near his feet and spotted Pharaoh sleeping there, but apart from the cat, he appeared to be alone.

He got up, ignoring an indignant Pharaoh, who now had to relocate, and went to the kitchen, expecting to find Judai there. He was in for a surprise though, as the kitchen proved to be as empty as the living room, and he briefly wondered if Judai had left. His bag was still next to the couch, though, so that disproved that theory. Johan took out a slice of bread for himself, and set of in search for the other inhabitants of the apartment.

He eventually found Judai in the study, fully dressed and doodling on a piece of paper. Yubel was with him, of course, as were Cobalt Eagle, Sapphire Pegasus, Amethyst Cat and Topaz Tiger. Ruby materialized when he entered, and the others looked up.

"Good morning, Johan." Judai smiled at him uncertainly, and Johan smiled back. Judai looked visibly relieved.

"Good morning. What are you doing?"

"Ah, yes, come here for a second. We think we've figured it out."

Johan made his way over to Judai, who showed him the piece of paper he'd been doodling on.

"Stick figures?" Johan raised an eyebrow.

"It's just a sketch!"

Judai took the paper from Johan and pointed at the first of five figures. It was drawn with a red pen and had 'Judai' scribbled above it.

"That's me, obviously," Judai moved his finger to the figure next to the first one. This one was also in red, and wore a quickly drawn crown, "That's Haou Judai. Still me, actually."

He pointed at the third red figure, this one slightly smaller than the other two: "And that's Haou. The former me."

Johan's gaze shifted to the remaining two figures, both drawn with a blue pen. Judai pointed at the one underneath 'Haou'

"This here is human Yubel. the one who sacrificed himself for Haou." He moved his finger to the left, and indicated the second figure: "Logically, this is Yubel as you know her."

He put down the paper and looked at Johan: "Do you get it? Haou's forms and Yubel's forms run parallel, but there's one missing on Yubel's side." He drew a question mark underneath the 'Judai' figure.

"And that'd be me."

"Exactly!" Judai drew a sixth figure next to the question mark, and wrote 'Johan' above it.

"That doesn't really prove it's me, though. Only that there's someone missing from the equation."

"Yes, but all the weird stuff you noticed, and those dreams... They're definitely Yubel's memories."

"Do you believe him, Johan?" Sapphire Pegasus asked.

"Do you?"

Sapphire Pegasus bowed his head: "I think I do... It adds up."

Johan looked at the other Gem Beasts present: "How about you guys?"

"We discussed this while you were asleep," Cobalt Eagle answered him, "Judai explained most of it and it sort of fits your story."

"I still don't get how both of them exist at the same time." Amethyst Cat said.

Johan looked at Judai questioningly.

"We -that's me and Yubel-, we have a theory. During the operation, Yubel's soul must have split. One part became the Yubel you know, the other part became you."

Johan nodded slowly: "That makes sense... In a weird way."

"You're okay with it?"

"It's a lot to accept, but I will be, I think," Johan shook his head and corrected himself, "in a way, I think I already have."

"It explains why you were dreaming so often." Topaz Tiger said.

Johan turned to Judai: "Those dreams... Will they go away?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe once you remember everything. There ought to be a trigger, but we haven't found it yet. We'll have to wait."

"And what does this make me?"

Judai frowned: "What do you mean?"

"All this... Who am I?"

Judai got up and placed one hand on Johan's shoulder: "You are Johan Andersen. Just like I am Yuki Judai."

"But..."

"All this doesn't make you a different person. You've always been like this, it's only now that you realize it. You're still Johan."

Johan stayed silent.

"Maybe you and Yubel should talk?" Judai tried.

"I don't know..."

"I asked Yubel. She agrees."

Johan looked at Yubel, who nodded shortly.

"Okay then."

"I'll leave you two alone? Oh, wait a second." Judai's eyes flashed and briefly changed color; Yubel became solid.

"This might make it easier to talk."

"That's useful." Johan grinned.

"It is," Judai turned to leave, "See you!"

The Gem Beasts disappeared as well, leaving Johan and Yubel alone. Johan moved towards the chair Judai had used, then thought better of it and instead sat down on his desk.

"So..." Johan struggled to find words.

"You didn't suspect earlier?"

"What?" Johan asked, puzzled, "How could I have known?"

"No, no, I guess you couldn't have known," Yubel answered, and Johan wondered if he should feel insulted.

"Did you know?"

"I suspected, but only when Judai told me we had to come here."

"How is that?"

"It was too easy to remove your soul from your body. A body normally shouldn't be able to function without its own soul, yet yours accepted my soul as a replacement." Yubel's tone was dry, detached. Johan swallowed and tried to ignore the clenching sensation in his stomach.

"So your soul was compatible with my body?" he tried to adopt the same detached tone Yubel had used.

"Yes."

"I have one more question. There is one dream that makes me hate Judai, why is that? I thought you only ever wanted to protect him."

"It's what I felt when I returned to earth."

"But I'm not really you."

Yubel shook her head: "I have a theory. It is possible that, upon re-entry, part of the scattered energy latched on to the being closest to me."

"But you didn't land anywhere near here."

"Energy and emotion only work in terms of spiritual closeness, not in terms of distance. You were the being most like me."

"I see..."

Johan glanced at the paper still lying on the desk. He and Yubel were one and the same, why were they so very different?

"There is your bond with Judai." Yubel said.

"So it all comes down to that. Doesn't it bother you?"

"It does. However, Judai is a kind person and he likes you, so I will not interfere."

"Thank you."

Yubel moved suddenly, until she was standing right in front of Johan.

"Long ago, I made a promise to protect Judai in any way I could. You made that same promise. Therefore, we have the same purpose."

"I see." Maybe they really weren't that different.

"If you come back on that promise, or hurt Judai, I will know where to find you. Do you understand?"

"I understand completely," Johan suddenly smiled, "Really, I understand."

An unspoken agreement passed between the two of them. Yubel turned around to leave.

"Yubel?"

"What is it?"

"I know we didn't start off on the best terms, but maybe we could try again?" Johan held out his hand.

Yubel looked at him, her eyes moving from his face to the outstretched hand. Finally, she moved forward and placed her hand in Johan's.

Johan smiled.

"I am Johan Andersen. Nice to meet you."


	11. Epilogue: Duelists' Friendship

Finally, we've reached the end. I am incredibly sorry for the delay, but real life tried its very hardest to prevent this chapter from being written.

I'd like to thank everyone who's read the story and everyone who was so very kind as to review. My eternal gratitude goes to **Olynthus**, not only for inspiring me to write this story in the first place, but also for her constant support during the writing process and especially during these last few weeks. I never would've made it without her.

I had fun, really. This is the longest story I've ever written, and I loved doing so.

And by the way: the crow doesn't mean what you think it means.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own, don't want to

* * *

**Bergen, Norway - 5 weeks after graduation**

"No way, Sho actually did it? That's awesome!"

"Didn't you know? It's been all over the news!"

Judai shook his head: "I haven't seen a TV up close in a few weeks."

"True, but still, I thought that the rumors would've reached you by now."

"No such luck. So, any news on who has joined?"

Johan gestured at the TV set: "See for yourself. There should be a report on that any minute now."

As if on cue, a reporter appeared on the screen. The man briefly shuffled through the papers on his desk before addressing the audience directly.

_"It has now been confirmed that several young duelists are joining the Marufuji Circuit, most of them graduates from Duel Academia. One of our reporters conducted an exclusive interview with one of those upcoming stars."_

The screen now showed the outside of a duel arena, while a voice-over continued:

_"Manjoume Jun is the youngest of the Manjoume brothers, but has made it known that he does not wish to be associated with his older brothers. Our reporter wondered if his decision to join the new circuit might be interpreted as an act of defiance."_

Manjoume appeared on the screen, and both Judai and Johan sat up a little straighter.

_"My reasons for joining this circuit have nothing to do with my brothers. The Manjoume Group has no influence over me, and hasn't had so for a long time."_

There was no reporter shown on-screen, but the microphone labeled with the logo of the channel made it clear that Manjoume was giving an interview.

_"What made you decide to join the circuit?"_

_"I only wish for fair duels and honest conduct outside the field."_

_"So you agree that the Pro Leagues are corrupt?"_

_"That is for you to decide."_

The reporter quickly changed tracks.

_"You and Marufuji Sho graduated together. Does your friendship have anything to do with this sudden decision?"_

_"I can assure you that this decision is far from sudden. However, I place my trust in him."_

"They've all changed so much," Judai muttered.

The reporter seemed to have run out of questions, for the image shifted again to the news studio.

_"In a surprising turn of events, we can now confirm that long-standing Pro duelist Edo Phoenix will also join the Marufuji circuit. It was long assumed that, in the light of Phoenix' rivalry with Marufuji Ryo, Phoenix himself would be opposing the Marufuji Circuit. Several sources are now accusing the Circuit of nepotism..."_

Johan laughed, while Judai shook his head.

_"... but neither Marufuji wishes to comment. Marufuji Sho told one of our reporters that 'there is a common ground. However, it has nothing to do with what you think it is.' When prodded, he only added: 'We've been influenced by the same events and people.' _

_It is currently unclear what these events are, but our experts suggest a connection with the mysterious disappearance of Duel Academia last year."_

"They're getting smarter," Johan stated. Judai nodded in agreement, but frowned lightly.

"What did Sho mean by 'the same people'?"

Johan laughed: "I thought you were smarter than that."

"What? What do you mean?"

"You'll figure it out. Is pizza okay?"

--

There were nights when Johan still woke up screaming, clutching his forehead and feeling like someone was cutting his head open. Judai assured him that the nightmares would go away once the memories of his past life returned completely, but as long as those memories didn't actually return, the dreams would continue.

Yubel was the one who helped him the most. She couldn't make the dreams go away (even though she and Judai had both tried) but she explained to him what he was feeling and seeing. For some reason, the experience became less painful once he knew what he was experiencing.

"So what am I feeling?" Johan asked her one night, while Judai was in the kitchen to make hot chocolate milk for the two of them, "I mean, it's always my forehead, is there a specific reason?"

"That's easy," Yubel floated down so she and Johan were at eye level, "I wasn't born with this third eye."

"So, they really did cut open my head? Or... your head?" Johan frowned, trying to figure out which pronoun would be best.

Yubel ignored his confusion: "Yes, they did"

"But that can't have been the only thing they did! I mean, no offense, but..." Johan gestured vaguely at Yubel's body.

"Fainted. The pain was too much."

"Oh... I guess that would explain it."

"You still have those dreams every night?"

Johan shook his head: "Not every night. There's no set pattern, though."

"Any new dreams?"

"No, only more details here and there. There's one dream that seems to have disappeared, by the way."

"Which one?" Yubel asked.

"The third one."

Yubel frowned: "You're going to have to be more precise."

Johan hesitated. It was the one dream he really didn't like to elaborate upon. He finally settled for a compromise:

"The one where you entered the atmosphere."

"So that one has disappeared?"

"Yes," Johan smiled, "I'm glad."

"Judai will be too."

Johan moved to sit down and looked up at Yubel. The shadows made her look demonic, but he'd be a fool to be afraid of the dark.

"What happens now?" he asked.

"That's entirely up to you."

Johan shook his head: "Only it's not, is it? Then again, it's never been."

"It is if you want it to be."

"But that's not what I want. To decide everything myself... How egoistic would that make me."

Yubel stared at him unblinkingly: "So, you're not?"

"Egoistic? Oh no, I definitely am," Johan spread his arms above his head, "Aren't we both?"

"Do you really think so? Caring is not a bad thing."

"But egoistic nonetheless. Looking out for others, protecting... What gives us the right to do so?"

"It's the one right we can claim for ourselves."

--

Johan might've gotten along with Yubel, but Amethyst Cat didn't.

"Do you even know what you're talking about?" Yubel drew herself up to her full height, hovering several inches above the ground for good measure.

"I know perfectly well what I'm talking about, thank you, and if I were you, I'd be careful."

Judai and Johan entered the kitchen. Johan glanced warily at the two spirits, but didn't pay them any further attention. He opened the fridge, grabbed two apples and tossed one blindly at Judai, who snatched it out of the air.

"Oh? Might I remind you that I'm the one with the higher level?"

"Might I remind you that I'm the one with more attack points?" Amethyst Cat mimicked, "You don't even have any attack points!"

Yubel smirked: "Just try to attack me. You know who would get the damage."

Johan, who had just taken a bite, choked and started coughing violently. Judai thumped him on the back.

Amethyst Cat huffed: "We're not even in a duel, your effect wouldn't activate. And I'm even stronger without mine."

"Would you care to test that theory?"

"So now you're a masochist as well?"

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Judai lightly chastised. He filled a glass and handed it to Johan, who downed the contents immediately. Amethyst Cat merely huffed and walked out of the room. Yubel followed briefly afterwards, but took a completely different direction.

"Do you think they've got more news on Sho and Ryo?" Judai asked absently, following the spirits with his eyes.

Johan put the glass on the counter: "Switch on the TV, I'll be there in a second."

He picked up the glass again and put it in the dishwasher, then followed Judai to the living room. Judai had already found the right channel by the time he got there.

"Johan, how come you watch a Japanese channel? Can you even receive the signal?"

"Obviously, since we're watching it," Johan stole the remote control from Judai and muted the volume, "their reports are usually a bit more accurate than the European ones."

"I see," Judai tried to reclaim the remote, but Johan lifted it above his head. Judai made a frantic grab and managed to knock the remote out of Johan's hands. He came out on top in the following struggle.

The volume was turned up again, and they just managed to catch the last part of a report.

_"-atest in a long row, Australian duelist Jim 'Crocodile' Cook has announced yesterday that he too will be joining the Marufuji Circuit."_

"It's like everyone we know is joining," Judai laughed, "they're doing such a great job!"

Johan smiled and nodded. The newsreader switched to the next subject.

"Johan, are you going to join?"

"I've been thinking about it, but I'm not sure." Johan briefly shook his head. "I want to take a break first."

"I wonder how they're all doing," Judai sighed.

"You miss them, don't you?"

"Yes..."

"Why don't you send them a message?" Johan suggested, "You can use the computer."

"But I'd have to write so much," Judai exclaimed, "Sho, Asuka, Manjoume, Kenzan, Rei... Well, everyone!"

"Just send them all the same message. Let them know how you're doing."

Judai nodded and got up. Johan watched the TV screen idly, not really paying attention.

_"In other news, Yuki Judai, another recent graduate of Duel Academia, is still missing."_

Johan focused. Judai's picture filled the screen, and Johan couldn't help but think that they should've updated their files. The Judai on the screen was clearly much younger than the one booting up his computer.

_"After nearly two months, barely a trace of this upcoming duelist has been found. He has reportedly been seen in the United States, but the trail stops dead in South Dakota."_

Johan wondered why no one had revealed Judai's location yet. He knew that Industrial Illusions was perfectly aware that Judai was in Norway. After all, they were the ones who had brought him in the first place.

_"Coincidentally, Yuki Judai is a friend of Marufuji Sho and many of his acquaintances. When asked about the disappearance of their friend, none of these duelists seemed overly worried. Most of them seemed to be convinced that the young duelist was okay and would show up again. However, after more than seven weeks and only one confirmed appearance, police officials are starting to worry about his fate."_

"Johan, can I use your account?" Judai yelled from the study, and Johan switched off the TV, reflecting that Judai was indeed very much alright. He joined Judai in front of the computer, and quickly read the message he had written to his friends.

"Can't you use your own account?" Johan sat down on the desk, seeing as Judai had claimed the only chair in the vicinity.

"I tried, but I can't access it from here."

"Oh, go ahead then."

Judai scanned the message one last time, and hit the 'send' button.

--

The next day, Johan's in box was flooded with replies, ranging from Asuka's worried questions to Manjoume's angry exclamations that Judai 'better get back soon or he'd drag him back personally'. Edo's sublimely indifferent message lost its meaning due to him replying in the first place. Judai decided to humor him and his 'extremely busy schedule' and only sent him a short, to-the-point reply.

Both Rei and Kenzan wanted to know how Judai had gone from Japan to America to Europe, and they practically begged him to tell them everything he had experienced. Their mails were kept for last, seeing as it would take Judai a lot of time to write everything down (He was considering replying to both of them at the same time, but somehow he doubted they'd appreciate that, however good friends they'd become)

No one seemed surprised that he was staying with Johan.

"Am I that predictable?" Judai complained, clicking 'reply' after reading Asuka's message.

Johan laughed: "You and predictable don't belong in the same sentence. I guess they just know you that well. Or maybe they've learned to expect the weirdest things coming from you."

"Yeah, but how did they know I was here?"

"I don't think they knew. They just weren't surprised."

Judai opened the next mail - Sho's - and carefully read it over.

"He's asking if I'll go back to Japan."

"Will you?"

Judai shrugged: "I might. Not immediately, though, I want to see the rest of the world first."

"So you're leaving."

"You could come," Judai offered tentatively.

Johan shook his head: "I've got my life here. And my family."

"They could come as well."

Johan grabbed Judai's shoulder and turned him around, so that they were both facing the open door.

"See that?"

The Gem Beasts were in the next room, sleeping. Topaz Tiger lazily opened one eye and lifted a paw when he saw them looking.

"They're happy here," Johan said, raising his hand as well, " but you need to travel. I'd only hold you back."

"But you're..."

"Johan Andersen, remember? You said so yourself."

Judai pouted slightly, and the expression was so strange - and familiar at the same time - that Johan just had to laugh.

"Come on, you've got some friends to reply to. I'll get you a guidebook later, so you won't get lost again."

"Johan! I'm not going to get lost!"

Johan grinned: "Really? So you knew where you were in America?"

"He didn't," Yubel appeared behind Judai and placed one hand on his head affectionately, "he got hopelessly lost."

"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side!" Judai protested.

Johan just laughed, waved, and left for the kitchen.

--

"By the way," Johan asked one week later, while they were walking through downtown Bergen, "do you know that you've been declared missing?"

Judai turned around abruptly: "Really? How do you know?"

"It was on the news a while ago," Johan said. He looked over the marketplace: "Oh, look, they've got cherries!"

"Cherries?"

"Yes, unless you want to keep living on apples?" Johan dragged Judai over to the fruit stand, and started scooping up cherries and putting them in a bag. He handed the bag to the vendor, and waited for the man to determine the price.

Ruby and Hane Kuriboh appeared, already locked in one of their usual struggles. Judai and Johan locked eyes, then shrugged at the same time and looked back at the fruit stand.

Johan fished through his pockets and managed to find the right amount of money. He paid for the cherries and accepted the bag, which he quickly placed into another, bigger one.

At the same time, Hane Kuriboh and Ruby stopped quarreling and settled down on their respective owners' shoulders.

"So, missing?" Judai asked once they had left the market.

"Yes, though no one seems to be worried. They know you've been in America, by the way."

"Really?" Judai looked puzzled, "how come they don't know I'm here? I mean, Industrial Illusions knows where I am."

"Beats me," Johan shrugged, "they probably just didn't mention it."

Judai opened his mouth, but thought better of it and closed it again. They walked in silence for several minutes.

"I'll be leaving soon," Judai broke the silence.

"When?"

"In two days, three days? I'm not sure."

Johan looked down: "Are you going to be okay?"

"I will be. You can still come if you want," Judai looked at the other boy concernedly, "Are you going to be okay?"

Johan looked up again and laughed: "Of course! I've got my family," he petted Ruby lightly on the head, "as long as they're here, I have nothing to worry about."

"If you're sure..."

"I am. But you can't leave yet!"

Judai looked at him in alarm: "Why not? Is something wrong?"

"Of course," Johan exclaimed, "I can't eat all those cherries on my own, they'll go bad!"

Judai rolled his eyes: "You can be so immature sometimes."

"Not immature, pragmatic. Besides, you're one to talk!"

Judai laughed heartily at this, and hit Johan on his shoulder, disturbing Ruby in the process: "Come on, I'll race you!"

If any of the inhabitants of Bergen thought strange of two nearly adult boys chasing each other down the street, they didn't say anything about it.

--

"You're sure you don't want to come? I don't mind."

Johan merely shook his head and smiled. He took a step closer to Judai, who was standing near the door, duffel bag slung over one shoulder.

"I told you before, you have a journey to make, and I am not part of it."

"But you are," Judai tried, "now more than ever!"

"It's not my journey to make. Besides, someone needs to take care of things while you're gone!" Johan smiled reassuringly.

"Are you sure?"

"I am. You've got Yubel, you'll be fine."

Judai admitted defeat, but stepped away from the door and closer to Johan.

"I'm going now, Johan."

"Yes. Judai, please take care!" Johan stepped closer and gave Judai a quick, one-armed hug.

"I will, don't worry. And I will come back."

"Therefore, I will be waiting."

Judai smiled and nodded. He opened the door.

"Judai!"

He turned around. Johan quickly crossed the hallway, grabbed his hand, and pressed a card in it.

"Take it. As a keepsake."

Judai looked from the card to Johan and back again. He studied the design attentively.

"Trap Strap? But..."

"I know it's useless for you," Johan clarified quickly, "but just take it, okay?"

"Johan, I can't keep this..."

"Then bring it back."

Judai smiled and pocketed the card: "That's a promise. One day, I'll bring it back."

And while Judai turned away and Johan watched, a crow flew overhead, black wings beating proudly. It turned towards the East and soon became nothing more than a speck in the sky. Judai rounded a corner and disappeared from sight, but not before throwing a glance over his shoulder and waving. Johan waved back, then smiled and whispered softly:

"And until that day, I will wait. I will definitely wait"


End file.
